Grey Tree Frog Diet

[McLaura]

I have a question about what Greys should eat. I've raised Lewis from a tadpole, and he morphed into a froglet late July last year, so he's around 7 months or so, and maybe 3/4" long. I started out feeding him fruit flies, and then tried very small waxworms and phoenix worms, smaller than the width of his mouth, but they came out whole in his poop, so I stopped doing that. He seems to be doing fine with the fruit flies, but I worry he should have a more varied diet. Should I try the worms again now that he is a little bigger? I don't really want to get into crickets, but I will if they are that much better.

[McLaura]

Here are a couple of pictures of him, so you can see what he looks like right now.

[John]

He's a bit small to try with waxworms but there's no harm in it - adults can definitely eat them and digest them. In fact, lately that's all I've been feeding my 3. Crickets would be a straight forward food for your frog until it's a bit bigger, just be sure to gutload them first, or at least give them a vitamin/mineral sprinkle.

[Kurt]

Sounds like the frog threw the worms up. Every time I have tried phoenix worms my frogs threw them up too. You will have to use crickets at some point. Go lightly on the waxworms especially after he has grown up. They are high in fat.
Right now feed him fruit flies, bean weevils, and small crickets.

[McLaura]

Thanks for the advice! My main worry about the crickets is that I live in a 450 sq. ft. apartment in the city, and I don't think my neighbors would think too kindly of me if I caused an infestation of my building. Is this a big risk, or is it fairly easy to keep a small amount of them?

[Kurt]

Well the size of cricket you would use with this little guy would be to small to cause an infestation.

[John]

I disagree about throwing them up - waxworms are hard for some species to digest and I've seen them come out the other end almost untouched.

[Kurt]

I have never seen this.

[McLaura]

Just thought I would jump back in and clarify - the worms were definitely coming out in the poop. I was still feeding them fruit flies as well, and so the worms were basically encased in the poop and were a tiny bit digested as they were pretty slimy looking, but they weren't throwing them up. I figured it was just because they were too young to digest something like that.

[John]

I think it's a size issue - too big a wax worm for too small a frog. You can solve this though - use a pin or something to pierce the wax worm a few times before feeding it to the frog. I know it sounds disgusting but it works.

[Kurt]

When insect are thrown up there stuck together and look like a poop made out of bugs. I have seen it several times.

[McLaura]

I got two dozen 1/8" crickets this weekend to see how Lewis would like them, and he definitely was more excited to eat them than the fruit flies! I think I will be moving to the crickets as a main staple food now.

[Kurt]

Very good. I would still feed him fruit flies for variety.

[Traverine]

I have a wild raised Grey Tree Frog. And I had it for a year. This frog doesn't always digest the waxworms. I've seen it exit the frog whole. Like it just went through it unharmed. I have fed it mostly crickets and insects around the outside of the house. But I've noticed a lot of odd things this frog does. At times it will bloat up and slightly hunch with its mouth opened as if it was trying to regurgitate it's food. Wailing its leg across its body. But nothing ever happens. I don't know if this is some form of digestion? Its really odd. She also can gloss herself up at times. Appearing to be wet. I knew nothing of this frog prior to rescuing from work. I have read a lot about this frog but nothing explains its actions. Any hints?

[jtay]

[QUOTE= But I've noticed a lot of odd things this frog does. At times it will bloat up and slightly hunch with its mouth opened as if it was trying to regurgitate it's food. Wailing its leg across its body. But nothing ever happens. I don't know if this is some form of digestion? [/QUOTE]

Shedding skin? Generally starts from the back, over head and into mouth where the shed skin is eaten.

[jtay]

I disagree about throwing them up - waxworms are hard for some species to digest and I've seen them come out the other end almost untouched.

I have once seen a hardly digested waxworm larva in one of my frogs poos.
I figured I fed her too many during the previous feed.

[UncleChester]

At times it will bloat up and slightly hunch with its mouth opened as if it was trying to regurgitate it's food. Wailing its leg across its body. But nothing ever happens.

I agree with Jess, this sounds exactly like your frog is shedding it's skin. The bloating appears to be stretching the skin out for easier removal, the leg movement is scraping it off, and the mouth open/eyes closed is swallowing it's skin in the ultimate recycling program. You might notice skin bunching up near the corner of it's mouth as it's swallowing it.

She also can gloss herself up at times. Appearing to be wet.

I haven't really noticed this, but they always look fresh and a little shiny after shedding.

[Traverine]

If its shedding its skin, I haven't seen any skin peeling off. The mouth opens and closes without the legs going at the time. It just really odd behavior. But in some of the explainations it does sound like thats what this frog is doing. Thanks for the input

[googie]

Sounds like the animal is definitely shedding its skin, both my Ornate Horned Frog and my American Toad perform the same exact motions as you described while shedding.
Unlike in reptiles the shed skin can be somewhat difficult to see at times. Somewhat like a slime coat, which as a previous poster suggested is often at the corner of the animals jaw, and consequently eaten.
Doesn't sound like anything to worry about. Enjoy.

[froggiez]

Sounds like the animal is definitely shedding its skin, both my Ornate Horned Frog and my American Toad perform the same exact motions as you described while shedding.
Unlike in reptiles the shed skin can be somewhat difficult to see at times. Somewhat like a slime coat, which as a previous poster suggested is often at the corner of the animals jaw, and consequently eaten.
Doesn't sound like anything to worry about. Enjoy.

WOW I have noticed mine bloating up and kind of doing a belly dance along the sides...looks like a pregnant belly with baby moving inside very weird and he looks really shiny too...I didn't even know they shed skin!