Gray Treefrogs peeing in water dish?

[UncleChester]

Hi,

You know that convulse/flex/tensing sort of thing they do when they pee? I've recently noticed them doing it repeatedly while sitting in their water dish (probably not a new thing, probably a sign I've spent too much time watching them with a weak flashlight at night recently). I can't tell if anything is coming out, but the convulsing kind of motion is the same. Is this some kind of water exchange?

At first, I thought it was one frog being rude to another in the dish, but some kind of exchange seems more plausible. Note mine don't poop in the water, and that would be a better way to get the dish to yourself.

[Kurt]

I am not sure, but it could be taking in water.

[Paul Rust]

Frogs with a parasite problem will sit in the water also.

[John]

We're all just making educated guesses here. I've seen amphibians use water bowls as toilets quite a bit.

[hyla]

I have seen my gray in the water dish doing some strange motions too. It is almost like she is exercising? You should post a video or maybe I will if I see mine doing it. I figured it was her way of getting the water to cover the top of her back, but who knows?

[UncleChester]

Frogs with a parasite problem will sit in the water also.

Isn't sitting in the water a normal way for them to absorb water as well? They spend their days up on perches, when the lights go off they take turns in the dish. They don't seem to be spending hours in the dish or anything, as they are definitely moving about in the night, but I'd have to stay up and monitor to be sure of that.

I have seen my gray in the water dish doing some strange motions too. It is almost like she is exercising? You should post a video or maybe I will if I see mine doing it. I figured it was her way of getting the water to cover the top of her back, but who knows?

Video will be tough as it mostly happens when the lights are out! It looks kinda like they are sucking in their waists and puffing up their chests. This gets repeated a few times.

[Kurt]

It sounds to me that they are just "drinking".

[scribbles]

I have seen my Gray's displaying this behavior, too.