Hibernation setups.

[Ebony]

Here in New Zealand it's Autumn and im starting to think about setting up my Indoor Terrariums for my Green & Golden Bell frogs for hibernation. Im just curious how others set up there tanks. Ive not put Mork & Mindy into Hibernation before and they have always lived in doors. But I have put Fredo and the late Bella into hibernation in an unheated room. My Southerns & Whistlers all live outdoors and naturally go into hibernation. I would love to see and hear how it done on your side of the world.

[jtay]

I'm really interested too!
I don't know how to go about it and am running out of time - it is getting cold already!

[Ebony]

Hi, You don't keep your Whistlers outside right? They should be OK in an unheated room in your house. Whistlers like to dig down into the substrate. Put a small water dish in (they most likely wont use it) I also through in some clean leaves that are from a native. Whistlers do tend to come out off and on during the winter especially on a sunny day like after a frost. When i see them i just throw in the odd bit of food.
I hibernate my Green and Golden's inside and they do just fine. They don't bury down like the Whistlers do. They will sit up the top usually and develop a coat of dried slime stuff that retains the moisture. They may get about a bit and go in the water but
should spend most of the time brumating.

I would love to see what other people do though.

[jtay]

Unfortunately my last baby Whistler died quite some time ago - disease or perhaps humidity issues. The ones from the pet store were not very healthy .
I will try again but will source them from somewhere else in spring.
So just my L.aurea to worry about. I think they went into hibernation last year and I didn't know that did! I thought they were dead and had a cry, prodded one and it jumped! I was so happy!
So now this year I have an idea what I'm in for - but being in my heated bedroom they probably wont hibernate properly but I do want to provide them with a comfortable spot to do so.

[jtay]

On a totally unrelated note - but something you will appreciate Ebony -
I have been accepted to volunteer in a research project over the next two weeks researching frog predators out in the Waitakere Ranges at Huia.
We will be setting traps to catch rats and stoats and examining what in in their stomachs - to see if they are preying on frogs, and also at night will be looking for the endemic Hochstetter's frog!
I am so excited, just got off the phone to the guy who is running the project.
Yay!

[Ebony]

Oh..Wow! That sounds so exciting. I would love to hear how it all went when you get back.

Im sorry about your Whistlers.

[jtay]

Thanks, really sucks. I will get it right next time with some healthy specimens, preferably tadpoles

[Ebony]

My Whistlers are croaking heap's at the moment, so you never no, I may be able to help you with that, If not then next year. I don't send tadpoles though, only Frogs.

[jtay]

I would be happy to accept frogs from you - they would be healthy as! Let me know if you do get froglets in the future and I'll set up a home.
Trouble with buying tadpoles is that they may not become what they are advertised as - I think L.aurea, L.raniformis, and L.ewingii all look very similar don't they?
I assume it would be the same collecting from a pond - if different species all spawn in same place...

[Ebony]

The tadpoles do look different. The L. raniformis and the L. ewingi do look similar, but he colouring is slightly different. L. raniformis is a dark green and the L. ewingi is more a dark gray/green. L. aurea have a yellow colouring. I do no of a place here where Southerns & Whistlers live in the same area and breed in the same pond.

[jtay]

Oh ok, in the past whenever I have inquired as to what species taddies are I get an 'I think' , 'not sure', or 'could be' response. Untrained eyes apparently! I cant tell but I have only seen L.aurea taddies.