White's Tree Frog question

[Cordelia]

Hi, Firstly I'm new so please no one yell at me if this is the wrong place to ask this...thanks


Okay we added a White's Tree Frog to our mini zoo of pets on Christmas. I have a couple of questions.

1--She stays burrowed under her water dish nearly all the time. Is this normal? If not what can we do? *Michigan is VERY lovable and friendly if handled..she doesn't seem "shy"*

2--Are we using the right type of bedding? We're using the same reptile bedding that we use for our baby ball python, Roseanne. It's what they gave us for her at the pet shop... but I had to special order her (small town/small pet shop).. and when I ordered our Hissing Cockroach the same people told me she ate crickets... she DOES NOT eat live food so I'm not sure I trust them.

3--I noticed some tiny mites in Roseanne's (Python) cage today when I put her away... from what I can tell they are springtails which are not harmful to her, I don't see any in Michigan's habitat, but if they get in there can they bother her?

[deeishealthy]

1--Being a tree frog, to find her burrowed under her water dish makes me question your tanks humidity level and if it's high enough. I'm sure someone more knowledgeable than myself will chime in though.

2--Reptile bedding is not recommended for amphibians. Coconut fiber substrates are best.

3--I've been advised to add springtail to my vivarium to help create a proper ecosystem, so no, they will not bother the frog.

Welcome, btw. Glad you found this forum. I know I'm glad I did. I really recommend taking some time and browsing past posts. There is a wealth of great information here, and pretty much anything you can ask has an answer to be found. Also, read this to get you really started: Frog Forum - White's Tree Frog Care - Litoria caerulea

[Cordelia]

Thank you... from what I've been reading we need new bedding for certain. I think our humidity should be okay...but we went through the same humidity fight (getting it correct) when we first got Roseanne. we are heading to a larger town for dinner this weekend and will get her new bedding. Also we may need to mist her more often. Also I read somewhere that we should put the fake scenes on three sides to make her more comfy. thanks again... we have a mini zoo here and we're still learning sometimes (dog, 3cats, turtle, tree frog, hissing cockroach, python, tarantula)

[deeishealthy]

omg, do I know learning. My son got me a exo terra, a hood and money for a frog for Christmas. I have been taking an intense crash course in vivarium ecosystems for... had to think about it... two weeks. My project this weekend is to strip this down and redo it properly. I'm consumed with it, to be honest. I couldn't sleep last night because I was redoing the plants layout over and over in my head. Ridiculous, and yet I cannot remember the last time I had this much enjoyment and FUN!!!

[HerpDerp]

Welcome to frog forum Cordelia. You have definitely come to the right place to learn all about your new frog! The first place to start to get good advice is to copy and paste these questions and your answers here: http://www.frogforum.net/tree-frogs/...enclosure.html

This is all info that is extremely important for us to answer your questions. But I can tell you, burrowing isn't normal at all. Something is stressing your frog out. It could be the humidity or it could be being handled too much. Even though white's tree frogs tolerate handling well it should still be kept at a minimum. It can be stressful for the frog and they can absorb harmful oils from your skin. I only ever handle one of my frogs and it's to put him in a container to feed him. Before I do this I thoroughly rinse my hands under the faucet, dry them really well and then spray them with the dechlorinated water I use to mist.

[Heatheranne]

Hi Cordelia, welcome.

I would have to agree...if your frog has burrowed on the ground, two things are possible....it is not moist enough so he is therefore trying to absorb the substrate moisture, and/or it is also too cool and he may be trying to hibernate. Trying getting your temp up to the upper 70's to low 80's during the day and mist more often. Use dechlorinated water for his water bowl and the new substrate. Mist 2x/day or more often.

Congrats on your new frog and welcome to the wonderful world of amphibians .

[Cordelia]

HI... thanks everyone for the information... I think I MAY have discovered the issue... humidity and temp seem to be in the right range... however Michigan was in the living room... I have moved her to the Play room.. which sounds busy but it isn't... I work out in there and our daughter occasionally plays in there.. but usually just drags toys to the living room. That room allows her to get actual Darkness at night... I use a under heating pad at night... and within 30mins of moving her she was out and climbing about. Thanks again. wish me luck

[NatureLady]

Hello and welcome to the forum.

What exactly are your temps and humidity? Stress could do it, but all the way under the water bowl seems like it might be more then stress. Do you have plants (real or fake) in the tank? Maybe there is no other place to hide.

I also read that your frog doesn't like to eat LIVE food? Your frog should be happy to eat live food. My tip on this is that the food item should be no longer then the distance between your frogs eyes. Snake eating dead food is not concerning and common practice (they call this frozen thawed). Frogs eating dead is not. Either food is too big or frog is too stressed to eat. Also, feeding from a bowl is good for most of us here and works like a charm,....BUT not for hissers. I would suggest this method for crickets or dubia roaches.