2 male red eyes?... Territorial?

[Shanny]

I just last week got a new terrarium, the exo terra Sri Lanka 18x18x24... Just the other night I went in to observe my two red eyes in there new home and it looked as though they were both wide awake roaming all over there new home and both being very vocal. Then I saw them both get down on the substrate and they kept pushing there bellies down in the dirt (the substrate that came with the terrarium kit) before I moved them in this tank, they only had moss as a substrate, so this was new to them. I had never seen them do any of this before.
Then one of them started calling and shaking his body while he was standing on the ground facing the other one.. I have never witnessed this from them either.
My frogs (Skitty and bitty) are the only ones in the tank. Before I got bitty, I originally had Skitty and scuttle, scuttle died 3 months after I got him and Skitty. So a little after is when I got bitty. When I had scuttle and Skitty, I never heard any croaking at all. But a couple days after I put bitty in w Skitty, I heard croaking for the first time. So, I immediately assumed that bitty was a male and Skitty was a female, but now I'm even more confused and think they both may be males because I have been in there watching them And recently witnessed both of them make noise.
they both have been super active and calling since being in there new home.... So idk if they are acting this way because theyre happy or excited to be in a more vertical terrarium or what.. Or if it's just because I have two males and they are claiming there territory?...
Any ideas?
Last night before the day time light went out in the terrarium, I walked in and saw that they were sleeping on the glass so close that they were touching each other, isn't this a territorial thing when they do this?

[bshmerlie]

I did a thread back in September called "Red Eyes shaking their bootie". Check it out. It is about 20 min long so it may seem boring but it does show all the different sounds and behaviors of competing males. I have not found that they are trying to intimidate each other by which leaf or how close they choose to sleep to each other. They may have just been partying too late in the morning with each other and get caught off guard when the lights come on. Then they'll just curl up and go to sleep where ever they are.

[flybyferns]

Shanny,

They press their tummies into the substrate to soak water up. I think you might be put a shallow dish of water on the bottom of the enclosure just to ensure they have enough water to re-hydrate.

Sounds like you have 2 boys !!!! The croaking is a great sign. A female will be larger in length and girth. So, if they were the same size when you purchased
( especially if they were froglets) a female would likely be larger by now? There is more than just one call. One is --- A small little chirp type call ( kind of like a loud hiccup) - this one you might hear when the are just waking up at night. I call it a "hear I am call" .The other is different. It louder and longer. A little more aggressive or what you might say is a " get off my plant " call. I typically see and hear my red eyes do this when they are on the move. Very often when they making a small leap from one plant to another; I will hear the call when they are making a landing. I have seen a bit of gentle male red eye wrestling, which actually ended up looking like they were attempting amplexus. ( a bit of confusion ? lol ) I think I posted a question about this.

Territorial, absolutely! But not in an aggressive way. My 2 male red eyes sleep on THEIR same leaf or plant every night. Where as the females will find a very secretive place. Sometimes the the girls are hard to find.

Sleeping on the glass happens. It just might be where they were when the lights went on. I think my frogs eye lids are attached to the timer. They are like switches. Once I hung one of those red ( heat) night view bulbs - they DID NOT like it !! too bright . I noticed a dramatic reduction in activity. Their area is pitch black. I use a really tiny flash light for viewing or a small light on far away.

Your frogs sound happy and healthy I'm sure you know to provide lots of places to sleep ( nice wide leaves) as close to the top to the enclosure as possible.

Enjoy ! I could sit for hours and watch them. It's relaxing !
Lynn

[Shanny]

Haha, nice! I watched your video Cheri, that was pretty cool you got that on camera. Now that it's mentioned, Bitty does sleep on this bamboo plants leafs just about every day, so I guess he has claimed that as his

I do have a small river running through the bottom of my tank, but when in witnessed the belly pressing thing it was the first night they were in there, so I don't think they had discovered the river in this tank yet... They must have been too excited lol!

Thanks so much for all the info!
So even though you have no females in the tank, your males will act like this?
I have two baby red eyes and was wondering how I should introduce them into the big terrarium, when that time comes... Especially with my two already territorial males?