I think my tree frog is dieing or sick

[jetoutant]

I have a Grey Copes Tree Frog Wild caught in Illinois this past summer and it was ok till a week ago lately it seems to want to stay at the bottom of its tank and by the water and looking thin, today I found it blown up with its mouth open at bottom of tank. he also seems a little weak.

It has 2 tank mates a american green tree frog and a tadpole in the bottom half that has water and has a filter that acts like a little water fall that keeps the water clean and clear. Temp of tank is between 67 F and 81 F depending on time of day, hummindity is a little on high side but not to high running water keeps it up. I feed them 20 crickets from petsmart once a week they usually last up until next feeding each time.

Can any one tell me what might be happening?

[jetoutant]

more pics of Sick frog name is Hopper

[S13]

I always read that mixing species is 9 times out of 10 a really bad idea. Different species of frogs secrete different toxins that can be harmful to one another. That's probably something you need to address.

[jetoutant]

I believe the species I have together actually cohabitate in the wild together. The Gray Cope Tree Frog (Hopper) just started acting like this a week ago, before he and the other tree frog got along just fine and acted and eat normal and healthy.

[toxxxickitten]

The mixing of species is usually a bad idea, however Grey Tree & Green Tree frogs can be mixed with no problems. I'm, however, not sure what is going on with you Grey Tree. I have two Grey Tree frogs I've caught in my backyard last Spring and they have been fine - eating like little pigs; one more-so then the other. Since yours is WC it could be possible that it has parasites.

[S13]

Oh, alright. Well I'll just shut up now

[UncleChester]

The ground looks damp, making me think he may be sitting on it to rehydrate. They'll seek out damp soil or water in low humidity. The mouth staying open like that is not something I've experienced before. I'm assuming he's not simply shedding since you say his mouth is staying open. Have you seen them shed before and know what it looks like?

What kind of tadpole is in there? Are you gutloading and dusting your crickets? Is the frog eating? Pooping?

Sick frog---> you should pull it out immediately and put in a quarantine tank.


I understand greys and greens to be an exception to the cohabitation no-no rule, though I have no experience doing this myself (I keep mine separate- more tanks for me). But I wanted to comment on this:

I believe the species I have together actually cohabitate in the wild together.

Proximity in their native habitat should never, ever cause someone to conclude that two species are ok in captivity together. Standard counter example is the Pickerel frog which will happily poison its neighbours in a confined space, even if you picked them up from the same pond. So don't mix unless you know what you are doing.


Hope someone can provide more insight on the mouth staying open thing.

[jetoutant]

Unfortunitly I have not yet seen either my frogs shed yet niether do I know what it looks like. I don"t know what kind of tadpole it is got it out of the Fox River in Oswego IL might be leopard frog or bull frog or other native to the area. I get the crickets from Petsmart 20 at a time every other feeding I have them dusted and I just put them all in the tank with frogs. I feed them every Sunday if possible and there usualy are 2 or 3 or no crickets left by the next feeding.

[UncleChester]

Unfortunitly I have not yet seen either my frogs shed yet niether do I know what it looks like.

When they shed, they puff up their bodies and open and close their mouths repeatedly. The opening and closing of the mouth is eating the skin and the puffing up is to help stretch it out and loosen the skin. You can usually see the shed bunching up in the corner of their mouths as they are taking it in. It looks disturbing even if you know what they're doing. The mouth doesn't usually stay open though.

I don"t know what kind of tadpole it is got it out of the Fox River in Oswego IL might be leopard frog or bull frog or other native to the area.

Very bad idea. Mixing species should only be done by experienced handlers who know the species in question are compatible. If you don't know the species, you can't really know they are compatible. A poisoning doesn't have to be an instantaneous thing either, it can build up over time. Think being stuck in an elevator with a guy who overdosed on aftershave. You might be ok for the first 2 floors, but after 20 floors you're gagging, and by the 35th floor you have vomit on your shoes.

This may not be the cause of the problem, but I would absolutely move the tadpole to it's own enclosure.

[jetoutant]

I just remember I got them back in May 2011 I would hope I would of noticed some thing happening earlier.

[GrifTheGreat]

Never mix species. They do as has been stated above slowly poison eachother. Especially when sahring a water source filtered or not. I would say a vet visit may be in order if your frog doesn't get better and definetley quarentine the Grey Treefrog. Is there wny swelling in the frogs mouth or around it? Do you dust with a calcium supplement that contains Vitamin D3? MBD(Metabolic Bone Disease) can cause such behavior, but if the frogs mobility is fine that may not be the cause. He coild have injured himself or was injured by the Green Treefrog.

[jetoutant]

Is calcium dusting good or bad because I do it every other feeding
no swelling of mouth but looks like it has a poutch under his mouth that is slitly wrinkled
at this time he just rest at the bottom of the terrarium mouth closed belly looks bloated

[jetoutant]

I might just reintroduce the Tadpole allmost a frog back in to the wild where I got him when it gets warmer out

[GrifTheGreat]

Is calcium dusting good or bad because I do it every other feeding
no swelling of mouth but looks like it has a poutch under his mouth that is slitly wrinkled
at this time he just rest at the bottom of the terrarium mouth closed belly looks bloated

Have you tried soaking him in a warm De-chlorinated bath? You could try that to see how he reacts. If you dust too much with calcium it is just like an overdose and can cause toxicity within the frog. Give him a warm de-chlorinated bath just as deep as up to his chin. Do you dust with a supplement that contains Vitamin D3?

[atlantiselliott]

Well it could be sick, I think b/c it was wild cot it mite be dieing :-(

Good luck and I hope your frog survives.

[jetoutant]

Up date I just looked at Hopper again my Cope's Gray Tree Frog and held him in the palm of my hand to see how he was doing and noticed either his throat or lower part of his mouth is swollen and feels a little solidish

[BlueisallIneed]

Take him to a Vet. Plus never take anything from the wild, you don't know what they carry and not to mention most don't do as well.

[jetoutant]

the tadpole food contains D3 it gets droped in the water could that be poisoning the water in the tank and hurting the tree frog

[GrifTheGreat]

the tadpole food contains D3 it gets droped in the water could that be poisoning the water in the tank and hurting the tree frog

He has developed some sort of infection. You need to have them in seperate enclosures and your Grey needs a vet ASAP. A vet can perscribe antibiotics to fight the infection. You need to act quickly or he will die.

[jetoutant]

She died at 3:50 pm 3-7-2012 I will miss her R.I.P. Hopper