New Froggie Owner

[Kaeru79]

Hi all!!
I'm new to the frog-scene, I got my first White's Treefrog on Saturday. I like the name Dumpy Treefrog best lol. I fell in love with these guys a long time ago when I was looking at an aquaintance's Dumpy. I actually thought it might be dead, and so did she. I realized his water dish was dry and told her to get water (she was kinda freaking out) and I put him in there and after a few minutes he started to stir. When he hopped back to life, I totally fell in love! How can you resist those big fat froggies!

Aside from their total cuteness, their size appeals to me too because I'm kind of afraid of small frogs. The tiny size and sudden jumping startles the heck out of me!!! So I guess it's not really fear lol, they just make me jump!

I haven't really seen these guys in the petstore or even at the reptile specialty store so I never really thought about really having one. But I saw a bunch at the store on Saturday and was SO excited!! I looked through a few of the frog books to freshen up on the White's and make sure it was something I could manage. Everything looked to be about what I'd already thought about them so I went ahead and got the little guy. Happy birthday to me, lol! WOW he's tiny right now, I can't wait til he gets big and dumpy lol (but not too fat!! gotta be healthy too!) I love the amphibians (I have a tiger sallie and my fiance has several reptiles) so I think he'll fit right in.

In the last couple days I've read everything I can find online to make sure I give him the best of everything he needs. I'm hoping I can learn even more here, and get some answers to some of the questions I'm still having.
Thanks for having such a great site!
Emily

[snoopfroggyfrog]

hi emily welcome to the forum this site will give you loads of hints & tips and some good advice too if you need your questions answered... i too am new to the world of froggys, i have 4 whites who i got 2 weeks ago today, i love them to bits already & they are so much fun...
good luck with your new little friend!........

[Tom Highum]

Have you read the caresheet on this forum?

[Kurt]

Welcome aboard.

[Kaeru79]

Oh yes, I read it right away!
Emily

[Kaeru79]

Thanks!!! Wow you got four?? I was thinking of getting two but I thought I should wait. It just occurred to me yesterday though that if I wait too long, they might not be able to be housed together for some time (cause of size difference) so we'll see!!
Emily

[snoopfroggyfrog]

exactly why i got more they were housed together in 2s but as i original planned on a large vivarium i went for the 4 thinking i could hopefully always house them together as they should roughly all stay a similar size...

[Kaeru79]

I went back today to 'look' (code for wanting to buy) at the frogs again BUT the rest were gone! Bummer!! They only had an adult left and it was housed with a few other species of frogs (is that OK?? there was a Cuban and a regular toad... and two other kinds.) Maybe that's my hint to stick with one for now lol
Emily

[Kurt]

They only had an adult left and it was housed with a few other species of frogs (is that OK?? there was a Cuban and a regular toad... and two other kinds.)

No, it is not OK. These frogs are poisoning each other and possibly infecting each other with diseases they have no immunity towards. They are also trading gastrointentinal parasites with each other, as I am 100% sure that some of them are indeed wild caught.

It's a rotten idea to mix species. Of course most pet shops don't know **** about amphibians (or reptiles for that matter!)

[1beataway]

It's a rotten idea to mix species. Of course most pet shops don't know **** about amphibians (or reptiles for that matter!)

Such anger in your post!

Hi, Emily. You can always add another White later on; just make sure they are of similar size. But enjoy. White's are great.

[Kaeru79]

That's what I thought when I saw that. I suppose if they were animals that would naturally share a habitat then it could work but it was just a whole bunch of random types of frogs and toads tossed in together. I don't know tons about frogs (workin on that lol) but I mean shoot I wouldn't put a house gecko, leopard gecko gargoyle gecko and a crested gecko all together just because they're all geckos! In the future, would it probably not be a good idea to purchase animals who are mixed like this? There was a nice looking white's in there too but I wouldn't want to get one that would likely make mine sick. Well, I wouldn't have gotten him anyway, my little one would be lunch! But just wondering.
Emily

[Kaeru79]

Thanks! I think my big worry about getting a second one is that if I couldn't tell them apart! Then again, I rehab squirrels and other things and I can always tell them apart (people think that's so weird lol) so maybe I would be able to tell who is who.
Emily

[1beataway]

I'm sure you could. There are so many ways I could list how to tell my two apart. Whites' seem to have their own personalities, there may be difference in colouring (either one will get to a colour the other doesn't, or they one would usually stay one colour), difference in what they eat, one may look fatter...you get the point.

[Kurt]

Such anger in your post!

Hi, Emily. You can always add another White later on; just make sure they are of similar size. But enjoy. White's are great.

No anger at all. It just some pet store people only have a job because they are a warm body. This is not true everyone in the pet industry, sadly, just a good chunk of them.

[Kurt]

In the future, would it probably not be a good idea to purchase animals who are mixed like this?

I wouldn't buy animals in this situation.

[Tom Highum]

I would recommend only trying to purchase healthy animals, unless you are a sucker like me who tries to "revive" them.

[1beataway]

No anger at all. It just some pet store people only have a job because they are a warm body. This is not true everyone in the pet industry, sadly, just a good chunk of them.

It's interesting...the night before last night I had an informal conversation with my store manager and a coworker. My manager said he could see how I would be frustrated because some people who work very hard don't get noticed and the other people who slack off or skip steps are never told otherwise. He did admit that he doesn't say anything. Anyways, point is, I understand what you're saying.

Today I found out a type of lizard we have does have mouth rot, like I thought. When I first saw it, the girls at the vet's office wasn't even sure if it was mouth rot or not. There was barely anything. So my manager decided just to keep an eye on it. A week later, turns out I was right. But I'm just fantastic at spotting things early on. And I actually, you know, pay attention to the animals in my care.

[Kurt]

You are the exception to the rule. I was the exception to the rule and there are stores that are exceptions to the rule. So people who care and who know something do exist.

[Kaeru79]

Oh yea Tom, I am totally a sucker for buying the sick/sad looking animals! Two years ago I bought a blizzard leopard gecko from a petstore, I'd only seen his face poking out and wanted him so badly. They opened the tank and he had lumps on him so it was settled I had to have him. I felt so bad for him! My fiance, who worked as the reptile guy at a different store, flipped out that they sold a sick animal to me and got most of my money back (not all cuz I wouldn't give the gecko back.) I spent like $150 in vet bills on that little guy but it was totally worth it. He lived about a year, longer than the vet thought he would. Man I miss that little guy! His name was Exxon Valdez, because he was his own personal disaster. The sad thing is that I'm sure most people wouldn't be willing to shell out for vet bills on a little critter like a gecko. Guess people don't see that they are worth it
OKAY I'm done, sorry to go off on a totally different story! I'm a wildlife rehabber and vet tech student so I get fanatical about sick animals!
Emily

[Kurt]

Someone must.