Update on Zuma

[dubbean]

It finally happend: Zuma bit me. I was spot cleaning with a disposable spoon and he jumped up and latched onto my pinky finger. His tongue is so sticking that once he let go with his teeth, he was still hanging my his tongue for an instant. I had 2 tiny pin-prick marks, right next to each other) where his tiny bottom teeth must have punctured me. It was my own fault for sticking my hands in the terrarium after Zuma had pooped, before I fed him, and at feeding time.

Anyways, I took the opportunity to measure Zuma, since he got pulled out of the substrate, and he is exactly 3 inches long. I took this picture today. He is doing well and ate 3 medium nightcrawlers today. I think it is time to move him to large nightcrawlers. I am finally considering getting dubai roaches too.

Zuma is still eating every day. He only uses his water dish right before pooping though. He uses his water dish, gets out, poops in the substrate where he had been dug in before going into the water, then digs into a new place. Zuma is weird but healthy so I can't complain.

[Hypnotic]

Sounds like healthy behaviour allright! Bubba is about the same size, he's 2.95 right now and I just switched him over to small big locusts, going to start feeding him nightcrawlers next week.
He was costing me a fortune, eating 7-9 big small ones per feeding lol. By the way, did you keep track of Zuma's growth? And hows his croaking? Full blown male yet or still a little squeaky like Bubba?
He has gotten some more bass to his voice this week though, seems he's rapidly perfecting his mating call. Mine is also still eating daily and doesn't seem to be slowing down at all, even increasing his appitite, he's going to send me right to the poor house.

[danfrog]

Ha! Cool. I'm not looking forward to the day when Mojo decides to chomp me. But its bound to happen.
Glad Zuma is doing good!

[dubbean]

I'm not sure Zuma is a male. I've been calling him/her a he but don't know yet. I haven't heard any calling at all. My husband thought he heard Zuma singing but didn't get up to check so it could have been something outside. I will try and get a good look at his/her little thumbs on Thursday or Friday when I do a full cleaning. I haven't been measuring Zuma much because he stays half buried most of the time. However, I could tell he has been growing very fast. They eat so much.

I know what you mean about them eating us out of house and home. I may try to breed roaches if Zuma likes them and maybe save a little bit that way though. I think my leopard gecko might like the roaches too.

[danfrog]

Well my Frog Mojo developed his nuptial pads at exactly three inches. Just keep checking every so often. One week Mojo didn't have them and the next week he did.

[dubbean]

I'll keep an eye out for them then. His little feet are always buried or muddy so it is hard to tell. I'll probably check every 2 weeks when I do a thorough cleaning. I don't like to bug him too much.

[dubbean]

Zuma bit me again today. I was feeding nightcrawlers, holding it with my hand, when he jumped a good 4" and grabbed my left pointer finger, sideways, between the first and second knuckle. He wouldn't let go. Zuma was grinding his lower jaw back and forth in a sawing motion. I ended up gently pinching the corners of his mouth, with my left hand, while twisting my pointer finger to open his mouth wider to get it out. I knew better then to just hold the frog and yank the finger out. I ended up with two rows of tiny puncture marks from his upper jaw.

I know I should use tweezer but I honestly didn't think Zuma could jump that high since he got big and fat. He proved me wrong.

[Hypnotic]

Yep, I also learned that the hard way, she lunged onto a plant I was moving across the top off the 40 cm terrarium. They are really lazy jumpers but seem to find extreme jumping motivation when they see food.

[Lija]

Yep, I also learned that the hard way, she lunged onto a plant I was moving across the top off the 40 cm terrarium. They are really lazy jumpers but seem to find extreme jumping motivation when they see food.

or they think they see food lol or they know it is not a food but because they're mean stinkers they lunge at it anyway lol
my 6"+ girl can jump out something 12" tall if she wants to or across 18"x18" tank , so water changes have to be done carefully in her tank lol
my boy however is just plain lazy, i don't think he will ever jump for anything.
that was his first and the last run for fingers lol

[dubbean]

Its funny. The first thing I though when Zuma bit me was, "where is my camera?" Of course, it was across the room so I didn't get a picture. I am seriously thinking Zuma might be a female. I still don't see any nuptial pads (but will look closer on Thursday when I do a substrate change), she has a big head (I think I read somewhere females have bigger heads), and eats everything in sight.

I guess time will tell though. I'm just happy he (or she) is eating so well.

[Hypnotic]

Yeah, I know what you mean, most males I see seem to have a pointier head.

[Lija]

yeah, i think you have a female too, but head shape and its size are very unreliable in terms of sexing but at 3" nuptial pads should be there, if not, you can be 99% sure you have a female

P.S. i have my camera at all the times in my reptile room lol, but the problem is the battery is dead sometimes and always when something interesting or funny happens

[Lija]

both of my guys at about 3", first pic female, the second one male, he had that hanging throat at about 2.5" and has been using it as a pillow ever since lol

but it doesn't mean your should be the same, they're all different.

[dubbean]

They are both cute and fat

[dubbean]

I did a full terrarium cleaning today and got a good look at Zuma's front feet. I see no evidence of nuptial pads. I'm going to start referring to Zuma as a girl unless I find out later she isn't. She is still 3" long and almost 3" wide. How big to female ornatas get? She seems really happy in her 5.5 gallon terrarium, Is now about time to move her into a 10 gallon or can she stay in the 5.5? How big is too big of a frog for the 5.5? I just don't want her to stop eating or something in a new terrarium.

Also, I got her some dubia roaches yesterday but, so far, she isn't interested in them and neither is my leopard gecko. I'm going to keep trying. Someone has to eat the roaches .

[danfrog]

10 gallon is fine. She is about due for a enclosure upgrade. Do you hear any calling at night? Mojo started calling around that size. If you do have a female she is going to be big, and you might need one more upgrade later on. I put Mojo in the exoterra 18x18x12 when he was almost 4 inches and he is a cranwelli. Expect her to not eat for a couple days while she adjusts to her ten gallon. I would feed her a good sized meal right before you move her. Mojo doesn't like dubias either. He might look at them but that's about it. I'm just stuck with the ones I have because I can't release them.

[Mentat]

I did a full terrarium cleaning today and got a good look at Zuma's front feet. I see no evidence of nuptial pads. I'm going to start referring to Zuma as a girl unless I find out later she isn't. She is still 3" long and almost 3" wide. How big to female ornatas get? She seems really happy in her 5.5 gallon terrarium, Is now about time to move her into a 10 gallon or can she stay in the 5.5? How big is too big of a frog for the 5.5? I just don't want her to stop eating or something in a new terrarium.....

A female Ornate can grow to 6 in. SVL. If purchasing new set-up recommend invest in the ExoTerra Small Low. The 18x18x12H size is perfect for an Ornate female and the convenience of front opening doors is worth the increased cost when compared to a 10 with screen top.

When at stores; do get some plastic tongs . You keep getting bitten is going to hurt lots when it grows more and could also get a nasty infection . Good luck !

[Lija]

They are both cute and fat

now they are just fat lol
females ornates can get 6"+ you should start looking for 18x18 footprint tank. i have mine in 18x18x12, and not really liking it, i will probably switch her and my male who is in 18x18x18. when she gets mad - every time i do anything to her tank, like substrate changes or she is hungry or need to poop or just phase of the moon lol in 12 height she can reach top screen if she wants to, i don't think at this point she is in any danger of burning herself on a heat lamp, it is in the middle of the top and she goes all over the glass, but i would rather get some distance.

[dubbean]

Thanks. For the advice and no, I haven't heard Zuma croak yet. I do have 2 firebelly frogs in the same room as here and one of them croaks at all hours so I would expect Zuma to make some sort of noise if she was a he. Zuma did make a clicking sound about a few weeks ago when I moved her into a small container to clean her terrarium. That is the only sound she has ever made to my knowledge.

I do have tweezers, I just wasn't using them much. I have been using them since the last bite. I like the idea of the Exo Terra terrarium. I'm going to look for some. Also, I offered a dubai roach to my hedgehog last night and she loved it. So, if Zuma absolutely refuses the roaches, I will give one a night to my hedgehog until all 15 of them are gone.

[Lija]

A female Ornate can grow to 6 in. SVL

mine is bigger then 6" not by much but over for sure. oh and another thing about exoterra low tanks you can put more substrate in 18x18x18 then in 18x18x12.
in low tank that mine is now i can't put enough substrate for her to go under fully, she always sits on a glass that is another reason for placing her taller tank.

P.S. front opening doors are safer for you lol you can open them slowly and hopefully not get bitten. and another pro is that it is easier to control humidity, it has vents on a front, so even if you completely cover top it will still have enough airflow and you have more room to play around to get humidity where you need to be.