My Grey Lady : Helena

[TheGrayLady]

I'm new to frogs and found this little lady in the pool! Shes really friendly so I put her in a 20gal long that I had laying around, and went to the internet for research. From what I've found shes a Grey Tree Frog, from what the info says its a lady because her throat is white, (apparently males have grey or black throats.) I've given her organic soil for her flooring, added a few branches for climbing space, and a decent sized tray for her to soak in, with bottled water, (NOT FROM THE TAP!) I have to get her some plants for coverage, but she seems content as is. I plan on picking her up some crickets tomorrow from the store around the corner, and dust so I can keep her healthy. From what I've read I'm doing everything right but I'm a nervous kind of person and want to make sure! Also I have a reptile light from a tortoise my sister had a couple years ago and was wondering if she would need it? My house is kept around 68-75 in the winter and 70-75 in the summer: does she need extra heat, or is the light just gunna cook her? She seems content with it and basks for an hour or so than moves to the cooler side of the tank. She has been in the water and left what look like EGGS in there, should I empty it or let it be? I don't want the water to get disgusting but at the same time... Frogs makes lots of babies, and as much as I'd like to find her a friend, I don't need a bunch of tadpoles popping up. If I'm doing something wrong, or if I identified her incorrectly PLEASE let me know so I can adjust things to make it a proper and comfortable habitat for my little froggy friend!

[hyla]

You have to empty the water daily anyways. They usually go to the bathroom in it and leaving them to soak in their waste water can cause problems.
My first suggestion is to read over the care sheet on Gray Tree Frogs carefully. After that if you are still set on keeping the frog and the responsibility of its safety and health then I have some suggestions.
I found a gray tree frog over 5 years ago and I still have her. You must take care to keep their environment as clean as possible. Frogs are fragile creatures in a sense. Their skin absorbs chemicals, waste, pesticides, poisons etc very easily. You should not handle the frog often. They are more of a look but dont touch pet. Grays require moderate care and they can survive a variety of temps. This makes them an easier frog to care for for beginners. Daytime temps can range from 70-85 degrees give or take a few. Nighttime temps 65-70 degrees. Invest in a hygrometer (measures humidity) and thermometer and place middle height in the cage. They should have more height than floor space as they need to climb. It is not easy to tell the sex of frogs and the throat color thing may be misleading. Males sing. Females do not. Mine has never made a peep so it is a girl.
Try to offer a variety of foods, dust every few feedings. They do not need lights as a reptile would. I would be careful with that. I uses a 100 watt daylight blue bulb to keep up the temp.
Again, read the caresheet. It has much more info on there.

[LizardMama]

You're set up sounds about right, put a regular light bulb in the light fixture and put it on top of the cage (I cover half the top with aluminum foil to keep humidity in) and put it so it's half on the aluminum foil and half off. Gray Tree Frogs makes wonderful pets, I have 4 and I couldn't be happier with them (one is a Northern Green Tree Frog that I just caught).

[TheGrayLady]

Its rather humid in the breezeway where her tank is, I have a 29gal tall that I planned on moving her into but my 20long was all that was clean and empty at the moment thanks guys!

[TheGrayLady]

Soooo I come home earlier this evening before turning out hellies light... And instead of her normal perch on the top branch... Shes burrowed her butt into the dirt... Shes not looking stressed or tense and she ate today. Weird or no? Also... Its just her tushy not all of her?

[UncleChester]

I'm new to frogs and found this little lady in the pool! Shes really friendly...

Frogs aren't 'friendly' to people, and that goes doubly for a wild frog that isn't used to human handling. Please understand that a frog isn't a 'pet' like a cat or a dog that will return any sort of affection.


Burrowing is usually a sign of trying to hide or because the humidity is too low and its trying to absorb moisture from the damp dirt.

If you haven't seen Johns care article yet, please do so Frog Forum - Gray Tree Frog Care and Breeding

[InfinitysDaughter]

Frogs aren't 'friendly' to people, and that goes doubly for a wild frog that isn't used to human handling. Please understand that a frog isn't a 'pet' like a cat or a dog that will return any sort of affection.


Burrowing is usually a sign of trying to hide or because the humidity is too low and its trying to absorb moisture from the damp dirt.

If you haven't seen Johns care article yet, please do so Frog Forum - Gray Tree Frog Care and Breeding

While Brian is right, there is no proof that frogs dont have or show emotion like a cat or dog would, wild Grays are known to be very human accepting? I guess that would be a good way of putting it. I've had several different species and none were more content (including my whites) to sit on me and just chill out. Though something to remember is Grays are like most frogs and can be hurt by the oils in our hands. It is unwise to handle them more then absolutely necessary. With a Gray it IS hard not to. I know. My Helly was my baby girl and I loved to have her sit on me but I would encourage her to sit on my shirt rather then my bare skin. Maybe the term would be sociable? There more sociable then other species.

ANYWAY! It would also be wise to get a HyGROmeter (LOOK GUYS! I SAID IT RIGHT THIS TIME! /bricked) and make sure its calibrated properly. Here's a thread saying how to do that.

http://www.frogforum.net/vivarium-te...varia-use.html

It could be she is just a little unsure of her new home and is burrowing to feel safer or even to get warmer (day temps should run around high 70's to low 80's and night should be low 70's). More or less except for necessary water changes and feeding, I'd let her be and let her settle in. She may not look stressed and they may be more sociable with humans then other frogs but its still a strange new world for her and its best to let her get use to it.

And do change her water daily. Its probably not eggs, though. Frogs tend to lay LARGE amounts of eggs at a time (hundreds or thousands) and they like to connect them to a leaf or the like to keep the anchored so they dont float away (not an issue in your tank but its still instinct).

[TheGrayLady]

When I said friendly you guys seemed tothink I ment I handle her let me explain, by friendly I mean she doesn't seem tense or upset, I have no inclination to pick her up and play with her, like I tell my dogs with babies, look not touch hygro meter is nexton the list,but as I just said shes in the must humid part of the house and I mist her tank daily, as well as change the water tray in her tank. When I woke up this morning she's back in her spot, and there's a big o poop where she had her tushy buried... Soooo I don't think it was humidity from the soil I just think she wanted some privacy maybe

[UncleChester]

When I said friendly you guys seemed tothink I ment I handle her let me explain, by friendly I mean she doesn't seem tense or upset, I have no inclination to pick her up and play with her, like I tell my dogs with babies, look not touch

I just wanted to make sure you were going into frog ownership with the right attitude, and you seem to be.

hygro meter is nexton the list,but as I just said shes in the must humid part of the house and I mist her tank daily, as well as change the water tray in her tank. When I woke up this morning she's back in her spot, and there's a big o poop where she had her tushy buried... Soooo I don't think it was humidity from the soil I just think she wanted some privacy maybe

More hiding spots preferably then. Live plants would be a nice addition, Pothos (devil's ivy) is a good one to start with, but there are many other options.

[TheGrayLady]

I've got some pothos in fish bowls up stairs that will be going into her tank once I flush the root systems with fresh water as I don't want to cross contaminate the soil with fish icky... I was wondering though.. I have regular climbing ivy that grows in. my yard, up a tree along the side if the house and has even wiggled its way into the basement! Would this be something I could use? Like take a clipping let roots pop in water then plant in her tank? A well add meant various plants in my back yard, is there anything that flowers I can put in. there? For color and something she can hide in?

[TheGrayLady]

Wow my phone has issues typing apparently... "as well as many various plants"

[UncleChester]

I've got some pothos in fish bowls up stairs that will be going into her tank once I flush the root systems with fresh water as I don't want to cross contaminate the soil with fish icky... I was wondering though.. I have regular climbing ivy that grows in. my yard, up a tree along the side if the house and has even wiggled its way into the basement! Would this be something I could use? Like take a clipping let roots pop in water then plant in her tank? A well add meant various plants in my back yard, is there anything that flowers I can put in. there? For color and something she can hide in?

The usual spreading, invasive, backyard Hedera Helix ivy is fine. I've used it for years with my grays with no problems. Some frog keepers do avoid it as it's toxic to eat, but this has never been a problem for me. Don't let your children or dogs munch on it though. It's a fine plant for cover but won't add much in the way of perching space. It will easily root just jammed into moist soil.

Most of the easy to care for plants that will survive indoors aren't impressive in the flower department. There are plenty of foliage shapes and colours you can work with though. Philodendrons, peperomias, and dracaena for example come in many shapes, sizes and colours. There's even a 'neon' pothos that's a nice bright lime green that can be used.