Thin frog?

[emandkel]

Froggy addiction strikes again ... due to wanting a couple of green tree frogs to go with my lonely one, went ahead and ordered a few other frogs when I had the opportunity.

I got a fantasy frog and a brown Cranwelli, both are about maybe 1 1/2 inches at most. Brown cranwelli looks good, fantasy frog looks thin to me. Here's a couple pics of the fantasy frog I managed to get before my camera battery died:



Does it look thin? It's hard to tell but it's back kind of sinks in a bit and it looks a bit thin at the back. Despite what it went through in the last 24 hours, it did eat a small cricket when offered and has jumped around a bit. I will try to feed more later this evening. The frogs are in large maybe 3 quart containers right now with wet paper towels but due to necessity of heat pads will be moved soon this evening to medium to large Kritter Keepers or 2 1/2 gallon small aquariums.

[GrifTheGreat]

Froggy addiction strikes again ... due to wanting a couple of green tree frogs to go with my lonely one, went ahead and ordered a few other frogs when I had the opportunity.

I got a fantasy frog and a brown Cranwelli, both are about maybe 1 1/2 inches at most. Brown cranwelli looks good, fantasy frog looks thin to me. Here's a couple pics of the fantasy frog I managed to get before my camera battery died:



Does it look thin? It's hard to tell but it's back kind of sinks in a bit and it looks a bit thin at the back. Despite what it went through in the last 24 hours, it did eat a small cricket when offered and has jumped around a bit. I will try to feed more later this evening. The frogs are in large maybe 3 quart containers right now with wet paper towels but due to necessity of heat pads will be moved soon this evening to medium to large Kritter Keepers or 2 1/2 gallon small aquariums.

Yes the frog looks thin. Feed it well and it should start to put weight on. Offer pieces of earthworm too. They're far more nutritious.

[Heatheranne]

He's a cutie! Nice patterns. He does look a tad thin, but I'm sure he'll be fine in no time now that he'll have a good home .

[emandkel]

I love the patterns on this little frog. I thought it would be more of a light brown with a bit of green, and was very pleasantly surprised the color is more reddish.

Regarding feeding: I have butterworms, waxworms, phoenix worms, calci-worms (same thing as phoenix worms???), and red wrigglers. How can I get my frogs to eat more of a variety of food? My little green cranwelli spit out a phoenix worm, my green apple and my green cranwelli won't touch the red worms (but both have eaten waxworms), and even my ornate doesn't really go for the red worms. I haven't tried the butterworms at all yet -- well I think I fed my ornate one when I had a visitor. I know the waxworms and butterworms are more of a treat food. I'll keep trying to offer a variety of food.

[GrifTheGreat]

I love the patterns on this little frog. I thought it would be more of a light brown with a bit of green, and was very pleasantly surprised the color is more reddish.

Regarding feeding: I have butterworms, waxworms, phoenix worms, calci-worms (same thing as phoenix worms???), and red wrigglers. How can I get my frogs to eat more of a variety of food? My little green cranwelli spit out a phoenix worm, my green apple and my green cranwelli won't touch the red worms (but both have eaten waxworms), and even my ornate doesn't really go for the red worms. I haven't tried the butterworms at all yet -- well I think I fed my ornate one when I had a visitor. I know the waxworms and butterworms are more of a treat food. I'll keep trying to offer a variety of food.

Red Wigglers release a noxious secretion when they feel threatened or are cut and this secretion smells bad. I can assume that it probably tastes bad too. This probably deters predators from eating them. Get some earthworms or night crawlers and just cut off appropriately sized pieces and offer them to your frogs.

[emandkel]

Red Wigglers release a noxious secretion when they feel threatened or are cut and this secretion smells bad. I can assume that it probably tastes bad too. This probably deters predators from eating them. Get some earthworms or night crawlers and just cut off appropriately sized pieces and offer them to your frogs.

I was somehow thinking red wrigglers were the same as earthworms. I will get some earthworms and/or night crawlers.

The fantasy frog ate a total of 2 small, 1/4" crickets and about an inch piece of a red wriggler. The brown cranwelli ate similarly but I put a few small crickets in it's container yesterday evening and I think it ate more crickets. Neither would touch a waxworm nor a phoenix worm. I'm really worried about the little fantasy frog. Should I try to force feed it if it doesn't eat much this evening?

A few more pictures -- the bowl is 3" outside diameter. 1st two are of the brown cranwelli; the other is the fantasy frog.

[GrifTheGreat]

I was somehow thinking red wrigglers were the same as earthworms. I will get some earthworms and/or night crawlers.

The fantasy frog ate a total of 2 small, 1/4" crickets and about an inch piece of a red wriggler. The brown cranwelli ate similarly but I put a few small crickets in it's container yesterday evening and I think it ate more crickets. Neither would touch a waxworm nor a phoenix worm. I'm really worried about the little fantasy frog. Should I try to force feed it if it doesn't eat much this evening?

A few more pictures -- the bowl is 3" outside diameter. 1st two are of the brown cranwelli; the other is the fantasy frog.

No. If the frog is attempting to eat on its own then force feeding may make it stop eating due to how stressful force feeding can be. Just keep offering food and he will be fine.

[Arie]

Although he does look thin, he should pull through. I agree with Grif. Don't force feed unless absolutely necessary. If he is eating, he should put on weight soon. It won't happen overnight, but keep at it! I'm sure he will thrive with such a caring owner

You mentioned butterworms and that you haven't fed them yet. They are a treat food for sure. My pacman frogs adore butterworms! One of my frogs went through a phase where he wasn't eating for a while and I offered a butterworm - it seemed to have awoken his feeding response again (horned worms seem to evoke the same response). He got really excited and actually chased it down (not much of a chase, they're pretty slow!!). He readily started eating again after that. He is fed a staple diet of earthworms and crickets, with the occasional treat. Good luck with your frogs and I hope your fantasy starts putting on some weight soon!

[emandkel]

Updates: the fantasy frog ate well for about 2 days, then maybe has eaten 3 to 4 small crickets in the past 3 days. I have it in a small Kritter Keeper as I thought the size would be better as it was thin.

My newest cranwelli has maybe eaten maybe 3 to 4 crickets since I got it. It was nice and chubby when I got it but now is getting thin <sigh> -- think it's time to try to force feed it. Humidity is at 80%, temperature near 80 in the day and gets down to 75 at night. It is in a medium Kritter Keeper with coco-fiber bedding-- would it be best at this point to move it to small Kritter Keeper and put it on wet paper towels?

My little green cranwelli is next to the fantasy frog container, and there is nothing in between them. My green cranwelli tries to go after the fantasy frog's crickets -- it's kind of funny to see it do that.

I ordered some night crawlers and they should be here tomorrow. The only earthworms I've been able to find end up to be red wrigglers.

[GrifTheGreat]

Updates: the fantasy frog ate well for about 2 days, then maybe has eaten 3 to 4 small crickets in the past 3 days. I have it in a small Kritter Keeper as I thought the size would be better as it was thin.

My newest cranwelli has maybe eaten maybe 3 to 4 crickets since I got it. It was nice and chubby when I got it but now is getting thin <sigh> -- think it's time to try to force feed it. Humidity is at 80%, temperature near 80 in the day and gets down to 75 at night. It is in a medium Kritter Keeper with coco-fiber bedding-- would it be best at this point to move it to small Kritter Keeper and put it on wet paper towels?

My little green cranwelli is next to the fantasy frog container, and there is nothing in between them. My green cranwelli tries to go after the fantasy frog's crickets -- it's kind of funny to see it do that.

I ordered some night crawlers and they should be here tomorrow. The only earthworms I've been able to find end up to be red wrigglers.

As cute as that may seem for your Cranwelli to go after the Fantasy's crickets that is part of your problem. Its wasting energy and becoming stressed by chasing ghosts. They should NOT be able to see in each other's home or see one another at all.

Do you have 3 sides of each enclosure covered with some sort of background?

They should be left on Coco fiber. Force feeding is only when you've done everything you can and have no other options so don't attempt to force feed at this Time. moving will cause more stress. You need a more consistant climate. Try and keep them around 82° during the day and no lower than 78° at night. Keep offering food.

Have you tried tong feeding yet? If not give that a go and if they won't take from the tongs just remove the hind legs from the crickets so they can't jump. This makes them much easier to catch.

Keep us posted.

[emandkel]

I've tried tong feeding and there is no interest shown in the crickets, or other food, offered to the two "problem" frogs. A cricket can walk right in view of the frog and the frog shows no interest.

The containers are beside each other lengthwise (the longer sides) and the heating pads are on one side of the long side as they won't fit on the back. So due to the heat concerns there is no background on each long "side". The containers back up to a mostly solid surface but it wouldn't hurt to put a darker background on the back. The bottom half of the front is covered. I hate to move any of them but will move one or both of the ones I've had the longest so I can put a dark background on the opposite side of the heat pad.

My green cranwelli eats fine (I now have 3 Cranwellis, the "oldest" being the green one), but I didn't realize it could cause stress. I will make sure that they can't see each other. Plus I will work on a more consistant climate as well.

Thank you for all the advice I've been given.

[GrifTheGreat]

I've tried tong feeding and there is no interest shown in the crickets, or other food, offered to the two "problem" frogs. A cricket can walk right in view of the frog and the frog shows no interest.

The containers are beside each other lengthwise (the longer sides) and the heating pads are on one side of the long side as they won't fit on the back. So due to the heat concerns there is no background on each long "side". The containers back up to a mostly solid surface but it wouldn't hurt to put a darker background on the back. The bottom half of the front is covered. I hate to move any of them but will move one or both of the ones I've had the longest so I can put a dark background on the opposite side of the heat pad.

My green cranwelli eats fine (I now have 3 Cranwellis, the "oldest" being the green one), but I didn't realize it could cause stress. I will make sure that they can't see each other. Plus I will work on a more consistant climate as well.

Thank you for all the advice I've been given.

You're welcome.

[emandkel]

My first attempt at feeding nightcrawlers did not turn out good -- no attempt to eat them for any of them, except my Ornate -- who promptly spit the worm back out.

I think both "problem" frogs may be eating, especially my newest Cranwelli that had gotten thin. It comes out early morning and stays hidden all other times. There were several small crickets in it's container and I counted three left. On the other hand, the day before I thought it had eaten 3 of the 6 crickets in there and then I saw all 6 later. That little one attacked the tongs last night with a cricket but then I found a dead cricket below the frog not long after. My fantasy frog I think may have eaten one or more crickets in the past couple of days. I did put each one in their water dish and both soaked for a little while, and have since seen the fantasy frog soaking. But, I am hopeful there is progress.

I ended up putting black electrical tape on the side between the containers versus moving them. Problem solved such as the frogs can't see each other, and I think that is safe to use around the heating pads.

Edit: I saw the fantasy frog eat a cricket tonight!

[Arie]

That's great news that your fantasy frog ate a cricket! Keep up the great work! As for nightcrawlers, the ones I get often secrete mucus which might be a reason why your ornate spit it back out. I have to thoroughly rinse the worms off, then wipe them with a paper towel before my frogs will eat them. Once I get rid of the mucus, though, they happily munch on them!

[GrifTheGreat]

That's great news that your fantasy frog ate a cricket! Keep up the great work! As for nightcrawlers, the ones I get often secrete mucus which might be a reason why your ornate spit it back out. I have to thoroughly rinse the worms off, then wipe them with a paper towel before my frogs will eat them. Once I get rid of the mucus, though, they happily munch on them!

Usually the mucus isn't a problem for the frogs UNLESS the worms are Red Wigglers which secrete a noxious mucus when hurt or threatened that both smells and tastes bad. Usually after a frog eats a couple Red Wigglers they kind of stray away from them because of this secretion.

[emandkel]

Update: They are eating and growing

I haven't tried nightcrawlers again, the worms all died for some reason. Some were more listless than others when I got them. I wasn't sure what type of nightcrawler they were so kept them at room temperature in damp coco fiber. Maybe the frogs knew they shouldn't eat them although the one I cut up and offered was nice and wiggly.

[IvoryReptiles]

My guess is the batch of worms was going bad already.....it's the only time my frogs refuse nightcrawlers. You will see the mulch look wet and it will have a bad smell in the container........it smells like clean dirt when the worms are still good. They need to be stored in the fridge.....NOT the freezer.

[emandkel]

Updated pictures as of yesterday of my fantasy frog -- I put him in the dish, he was covered with coco fiber. He's grown -- both sizewise and fatter

[GrifTheGreat]

Updated pictures as of yesterday of my fantasy frog -- I put him in the dish, he was covered with coco fiber. He's grown -- both sizewise and fatter

Keep up the good work