Found a tree frog?

[kcartwright856]

I had typed up a huge post, but lost it, so this second attempt at posting will be lots shorter!



I found this little thing in the hot tub while vacationing here at the Outer Banks in North Carolina.

Green Treefrog - North Carolina

The above is a link to what I think is the identification, based on the calls that I've heard in the night and general coloration. Though, this frog doesn't have a stripe like that.

I have it in an one-gallon ice cream pail with holes in the lid, a bottom layer of several paper towels soaked in bottled water, and some branches from outside. I even spent two hours catching various insects around the house to put in there for dinner. Most of that two hours was trying to capture a fly in the bathroom.

Are these creatures better off in the wild? I joked with my husband that I might just come home with it, but the little thing was perched on my shoulder while I was throwing the pail together. How can you not love that?

I want the best for it, though. What should I do?

[Miss Roddam]

Aww i would have thought it was a dumpy white tree frog but i'm not sure, Im getting a WTF and that about it climbing on your shoulder is so cute! I would say if you were going to keep it you would have to but at least a 10 gallon vivarium for it. But i would recommend if it is a frog which you can buy captive bred, do your research and buy a captive bred one
It is very cute and i must admit I wouldn't be able to say no to it! Good luck

[UncleChester]

Perhaps: Squirrel Treefrog - North Carolina

I'd release it back into the wild if I were you. It wasn't in any danger (though if the hot-tub doesn't have grills small enough to prevent little frogs from being sucked into the intake area, encourage the owner to remedy this), and you aren't set up to house it long term.

If you are interested in getting a frog, take a look at the many care articles on this site to see what's involved. Frog Forum - Gray Tree Frog Care and Breeding details gray treefrog care, and the basic care requirements will be applicable to other north american natives if they've caught your fancy. Do plenty of research before getting a frog, and have a suitable habitat ready to go, and ask all the questions you can think of here.

[kueluck]

Brian is right. If you are not ready to take on the responsibility, which can be lots, releasing it is best for it's welfare.

[Kristen]

Aww i would have thought it was a dumpy white tree frog but i'm not sure,

I'm pretty sure there aren't wild Whites in America, They're from Australia and Indonesia

And looking at the frogs from North carolina I agree with Brian that its Hyla squirella

[toxxxickitten]

I third that it is a Hyla squirella. If you can take on the responsibility of the frog and take care of it, then keeping it, to me, would be no harm. However, if you don't want to take on the responsibility then I would suggest releasing it back into the wild. And if you're going to keep the little one - then I would suggest finding a nearest pet store to start buying insects from instead of from outside. There's no telling what pesticides those insects could have been exposed to...

[kcartwright856]

From what I understand, a lot of these sorts of little guys are wild caught when purchased from the store anyway.

I'm an experienced aquarist with difficult species to keep, and they have all been WC, though I am currently breeding them. Oddly enough, I have almost everything that I understand I'd need at home. A fish tank with mesh lid that had housed some gerbils in years past, plenty of artificial hanging plants, driftwood, etc. So, I don't think it would come down to a matter of not being prepared for the responsibility or housing.

The only thing I'm stuck on is my conscience. With my fish, I know that I'm providing them an excellent, predator-free environment with great meals. While I've spent the past two nights researching the basics on these sub-tropical tree frogs, I don't feel I know enough to make the judgement call on how taking this one from the wild myself differs from buying one from the store that was taken from the wild, shipped in cramped containers and poor conditions, etc.

Torn.

[kueluck]

The other question to ask yourself then is do you want to remove a breeding adult during breeding season? I personally have never bought frogs or toads because of the the whole shipping thing and most are, as you said w/c (you can find c/b but it's rare). I suggest finding some tadpoles and raising them up yourself. This is what I have done and mine are happy and healthy! Good Luck.

From what I understand, a lot of these sorts of little guys are wild caught when purchased from the store anyway.

I'm an experienced aquarist with difficult species to keep, and they have all been WC, though I am currently breeding them. Oddly enough, I have almost everything that I understand I'd need at home. A fish tank with mesh lid that had housed some gerbils in years past, plenty of artificial hanging plants, driftwood, etc. So, I don't think it would come down to a matter of not being prepared for the responsibility or housing.

The only thing I'm stuck on is my conscience. With my fish, I know that I'm providing them an excellent, predator-free environment with great meals. While I've spent the past two nights researching the basics on these sub-tropical tree frogs, I don't feel I know enough to make the judgement call on how taking this one from the wild myself differs from buying one from the store that was taken from the wild, shipped in cramped containers and poor conditions, etc.

Torn.