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.

[kcartwright856]

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.

Great points.

I think that, this evening, when I hear the calling again, I'm going to go out and search for the area that they are breeding in. It is definitely close.

I'll put this little guy back wherever the rest of them are and look around to see if there are any tadpoles.

[kcartwright856]

Well, I finally found the location of the calling. Or, at least, the calling that matches the Hyla cinerea.

The bushes were far too thick for me to physically locate one of the frogs, but I saw the breeding grounds! It's a small ditch that filled in with rain. There are a lot of tadpoles in it, which really excited me, but then I noticed other frogs at the edge of the ditch. Proper frogs, or maybe even toads. Definitely not tree frogs.

The tadpoles are, to the naked eye, completely black. The body is quite circular and about 4mm each way, with the tail accounting for another 2mm. They are so black... surely these are the tadpoles of the frogs/toads I saw and not the treefrogs?

I tried to get a picture to identify the other frog/toad, but it hopped into the bushes too quickly. It was quite small. Perhaps the size of a large marble. Standard brown/black wild-type color.

I was so excited about gathering some tadpoles, and now I'm certain that these aren't the right ones!

Does anyone have a resource on what to look for in tree frog tadpoles versus other species?

[kueluck]

If they are black they are toads then. I LOVE toads and have raised several of these and find them quite entertaining. Much more active than the tree frogs, which I have 3 Hyla chrysoscelis (Cope's Grey). Here's a link to help identify tads. Guide to Tadpoles

[UncleChester]

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.

Good stuff- I take back my objection about not being ready then. Raising from the tadpole stage is a nicer way to remove them from the wild so that's great you're trying to go that route, most tadpoles end up as food items at some point. Make sure to check state laws about collecting, and good luck!

The link you first posted has all the North Carolina frogs and toads if you needed help trying to id other inhabitants around the pond your found. I'm always jealous of the sheer variety of amphibians found to the south of me.

Here's a link to help identify tads. Guide to Tadpoles

Nice looking guide, thanks for the link!