New to Leopard Frog - Need Advice, Please

[salbertsweber]

My 9-year-old boy came home from Grandma & Grandpa's farm in eastern South Dakota with what seems to be a Leopard Frog. It has more doubled in length in 8 weeks, and "sings" almost every day (which is rewarded with an earthworm). How do I know if frog is content?

Frog lives in a 36" L x18" W x14" H clear (opaque) tub, divided in quarters: 1/4 with dirt, taller grass bunches, and wood chips; 1/4 5" deep swimming pool with gravel bottom & a few plants hanging down; 1/4 with smooth flat rocks, taller flowering plants, small depression lined with leaf litter; and 1/4 with large-leafed vines hanging down, small wood "log", living moss, dirt & a few small stones. Half his box is in front of the window; half is shaded. He also has a black light in a chick lamp for warmth. Box is covered with mesh fabric (to keep the crickets in) and metal grid backing racks (to keep the cats from falling in). Frog eats moths, grasshoppers, crickets & mealworms from the pet store, and earthworms & minnows from the bait shop - anywhere from 0-5 per day, depending on what food is offered and how much he sings. Since we live in the high desert with very low humidity, I put plastic wrap over 1/4 (1 end of the box), and I mist the box with de-chlorinated water 1-2 times per day.

He seems REALLY calm - occasionally startled but mostly just looks at you. We handle him RARELY, and with wet surgical gloves when we must touch him. Sometimes he will hang out in his pond for a day or two at a time. Sometimes he burrows under the moss and the small log, and stays there for several days (but still eats if food is offered). He will be pretty active to hunt & catch crickets, moths & grasshoppers, but sometimes doesn't seem to move much at all for several days.

Is periodic lethargy normal? Does a frog have sense enough to move to the water to keep from drying out? I only use the warming lamp for an hour or two at a time - does he need it all night? Will he eat too much and get sick (his tummy gets distended sometimes, especially with big grasshoppers)?

Thanks for any advice - we're new to amphibians!

[John]

Provided the frog is not outside, the heat lamp is probably a bad idea. I would stay away from the minnows too - those tend to be full of gut parasites that can get passed on to the frog. The frog is sensible enough to move to the water when needed. Other than that, I think you're doing alright. Leopard frogs can be rather nervous in captivity and can injure themselves when they crash into the glass, so watch out for that. Provided the frog is eating regularly for you, I think everything will be alright.

[salbertsweber]

Thank you very much!
No, frog lives in the living room, so I will stop the light unless we are gone & the house will be quite cold this winter. And he does get nice afternoon sunshine daily on the one end of his plastic tub.
A couple of times he has flown round the box with a thud, when the curtain fell down on his box. But mostly he just jumps into his leafy vine (philodendron in jar of water) or into his water section. he really is calm (I think) for a "pet" that you can't really soothe with talking or petting.
We will discontinue the fish - they were actually purchased for the garter snake (that escaped), then he ate them so I got some more. Thanks for the heads up - I never thought about parasites. Do frogs need to be "dewormed" periodically like dogs? Do they need vitamins or some such thing?

[John]

Do frogs need to be "dewormed" periodically like dogs?

Wild amphibians often have gut parasites, sometimes lung worms and other nasties. Dealing with them usually requires a trip to the vet. Provided you feed the frog from then on with foods that don't carry parasites or have been treated (e.g. frozen) to kill any possible parasites, then you should not have to dose the frog again. Many people who just keep one kind of frog will forgo treating it for parasites.

Do they need vitamins or some such thing?

Young frogs can usually benefit from a calcium dusting every once in a while, but if it's an adult, a varied diet should be sufficient. The vitamin/mineral and calcium supplements sold for reptiles are suitable for amphibians.