Leopard Frog Help

[Tiger Cub]

Hello. I am so glad to have found this forum. I have a Leopard Frog named Lucky that I adore (he was an Uncle Milton's Planet Frog special). He has taken an entire year to morph and has yet to absorb much of his tail, but just this week got all 4 legs and the tail is shrinking so based on your post warning of drowning I've moved him out of the Milton/Planet Frog plastic habitat, and put him in a small shallow dish where he can breath and be submerged at the same time. But I'm so worried I did this too soon, or that he'll wriggle up and over the side of the dish and his little legs are not yet big enough for him to manage to jump back in? Or whatever. I just want the little guy to make it. Not sure how well the four legs work yet. Any advice on how to get him through this stage of his morph safely is TRULY appreciated. Lucky's "life partner" frog drowned in the terrible Planet Frog habitat shortly after he'd absorbed his tail so I am completely terrified to leave my little frog in any deeper water now that all four legs are out... Any and all advice on how to know if I've moved him too soon and how to keep Lucky alive period is greatly appreciated.

[John]

As long as he is near moisture it won't matter if he leaves the water when his tail is still partially present. The water is only required to keep the skin moist, so being in a moist environment is sufficient. As regards how to take care of it once it has metamorphosed, jumping frogs need large terraria, so keep that in mind (I doubt that planet frog thing is very big).

[Tiger Cub]

Thank you very much for the info. John. Yeah the planet frog thing was way too small and yucky and deep but the little guy did climb out of his rock bath thingy I bought for the terrarium and scared the daylights out of me but I found him among the moss, (he actually seemed fine) but put him in a Tupperware container he couldn't jump out of just until I get a little more clarity on what I should have in this terrarium. I don't want him to get hurt on anything. Can he navigate around a piece of drift wood? Not sure if he'll eat the coconut peat or the spanish moss stuff I put in there on advice of my local pet store -which didn't seem real knowledgeable so I'm sort of a wreck on whether I've gotten his or her new habitat right. ... p.s. as for my name "Tiger Cub" ... just in case you're wondering ... not a sex kitten, unfortunately, just a middle aged Tiger Cub Scout Den Mom ... LOL

[Kurt]

Can he navigate around a piece of drift wood? Not sure if he'll eat the coconut peat or the spanish moss stuff I put in there on advice of my local pet store -which didn't seem real knowledgeable so I'm sort of a wreck on whether I've gotten his or her new habitat right. ... p.s. as for my name "Tiger Cub" ... just in case you're wondering ... not a sex kitten, unfortunately, just a middle aged Tiger Cub Scout Den Mom ... LOL

He/she should be able to navigate around driftwood. The substrate should be fine, no worries. The substrate you want avoid is gravel. If accidently ingested, it can cause bowel impaction.

What is middle-aged and what is a tiger-cub scout? Just wondering if I am middle-aged.

[jody]

please be careful using the petstore dried moss. it has cause lethal impaction in my frogs when ingested. the crickets hang out on it and bits are eaten accidentaly when the frog strikes. the moss contains pine needles and other small bits of leaf and sticks that cannot be digested.

[Tiger Cub]

Thanks Kurt. I think we're 65 babies ? So while I hate to break it to you I think we're doing pretty good if this is the middle! Tiger Cubs are the first level of boy scouts, 6-7 year olds. Its an experience

For the froggie, he's does seem ok on the land. Thanks for all the help. He doesn't seem to have killed or eaten his crickets though. I keep finding them dead in the water. Is there a recommendation on the types of crickets I should be getting him ??? I just asked the pet store for small. I live in the middle of nowhere so the best I can do is probably internet.

[Kurt]

Thanks Kurt. I think we're 65 babies ? Is there a recommendation on the types of crickets I should be getting him ??? I just asked the pet store for small. I live in the middle of nowhere so the best I can do is probably internet.

There is only one type of cricket available, Acheta domestica. As far as getting them off of the Internet, I think the minimum is 500, 250 if you're lucky. To keep them from drowning, I make "cricket ladders" out of needle point mesh you can get at arts and crafts stores. I cut it into strips, then cut it to length for the bowl being used. See the picture below. (I should've patented this idea, but it's two late. This picture ended up in a book.) More pics in my profile.

I am actually a '64 baby, so that would make me older than you. I want to be 21 again.