My Little Green tree frog... a few questions.

[MaddieC13]

So I have a newly acquired pet that I have never owned before. My little green tree frog was found on a shipment of plants from Florida. I currently live in Michigan and figured releasing him would be a death sentence. I have a nice little set up for him, did a lot of research to make it a suitable home but I have noticed now that it is winter he is slowing down quite a bit. He only eats maybe two crickets a day now which he was eating four this fall. He doesn't move around much and I just want to make sure that he is not sick as opposed to just slowing down because of the time of year. Any body have any advice or answers that have owned this adorable little creature before. I am also not 100% on what kind he is but I think he is and American Green Tree frog. Thanks!

[Mentat]

Hello and welcome to FF Maddie! A couple photos from top and side could help identify your frog. It's probably responding to Winter and slowing down a bit. If want to double check; please answer the below questions and we will try to pinpoint any problem areas. Happy holidays !

“Trouble in the Frog Enclosure”
The following information will be very helpful if provided when requesting assistance with either your frog or enclosure. To help with your questions, please utilize the below list and post the information in the proper forum area to get advice from FF members that keep the same frog. This will allow for little confusion and a faster more informed response.


1. Size of enclosure

2. # of inhabitants - specifically other frogs and size differences

3. Humidity

4. Temperature

5. Water - type - for both misting and soaking dish

6. Materials used for substrate

7. Enclosure set up i.e. plants (live or artificial), wood, bark and other materials. - How were things prepared prior to being put into the viv.

8. Main food source

9. Vitamins and calcium? (how often)

10. Lighting

11. What is being used to maintain the temperature of the enclosure

12. When is the last time he/she ate

13. Have you found poop lately

14. A pic would be helpful including frog and enclosure (any including cell phone pic is fine)

15. How old is the frog

16. How long have you owned him/her

17. Is the frog wild caught or captive bred

18. Frog food- how often and if it is diverse, what other feeders are used as treats

19. How often the frog is handled

20. Is the enclosure kept in a high or low traffic area

21. Describe enclosure maintenance (water changes, cleaning, etc)


by Lynn(Flybyferns) and GrifTheGreat.

[MaddieC13]

so to answer your questions...
he is in a 10 gallon fish tank and by his/herself. Humidity I try to keep between 70 and 80. Temp is kept between 70-80. He has a shallow water dish and a deeper one that I also have a live plant in. I had originally had fish rocks (I know bad if he swallows one) but I quickly covered it with the eco earth stuff from zoo med and when he does feed I haven't seen him ingest any. I have a flat heater set under the tank. I have two real pieces of that bamboo in there as well as a larger fake plant. I also put smooth med size river rocks throughout the enclosure.I have another small dish with lots of frog moss in it and he loves it. I have two flat leaf pieces of live plant that overlap and that is usually where he resides. Everything was washed using zoo med washing stuff along with a very long multiple soaks in bottled water. I mainly use small crickets but am not sure what else he will hunt and eat ( I saw some flightless fruit flies and considered getting some) I use a calcium dust once a week on the crickets. He does poop regularly. I try to regulate how much he eats and its maybe one to two crickets a day. I never handle him aside from when I first got him three months ago to make sure he wasn't injured. He is kept in a low traffic area but we are always up and about in the house. I change his water everyday, clean out the poop, and mist regularly. He was wild caught because he was found on a shipment of plants from Florida. He was incredibly skinny and very stressed when I got him, I didn't think he would survive but plumped up pretty quick and seems to be happy. I will try to upload some pictures to identify him. Also he has been hunkering down the frog moss on the floor a lot but mostly resides on the flat live plants. I have owned so many animals and have never owned a frog. I have done what I can and I really love the little guy. He also changes from green to brown to grey and sometimes has a stripe down his sides.

[MaddieC13]

I used bottled water for soaking dishes and for misting and the lighting is just the bulb from the fish tank. He is more active at night. He also eats nightly... but a lot less not and its almost as if I have to lift his leaf to wake him up to hunt... I usually lift his leaf to make sure he's alive.

[Mentat]

Hello Maddie! A stripe down the side does point to a American Green Tree Frog. However; from pictures, not sure if your froglet could also be a Cope's Grey Tree Frog or a Cuban Tree Frog. If a Cope's it would have yellow to orange inner rear legs. A Cuban will have big toe pads, rough back skin, the head skin fused to it's skull, and will get way bigger as an adult. Maybe members who have kept them or live in FL can help ID better. I made some notes below regarding it's general care. Good luck !

..
he is in a 10 gallon fish tank and by his/herself.
Eventually frog will need a larger taller tank, specially if a Cuban. Tree frogs prefer height versus bottom area.

Humidity I try to keep between 70 and 80. Temp is kept between 70-80.
That should be OK; might need fine tuning once ID frog.

He has a shallow water dish and a deeper one that I also have a live plant in.
Water from a bottle could be many things; some of which are not good for frogs. Recommend using dechlorinated tap water (Seachem Prime is good dechlorinator) in the frogs water dish or for mixing into substrate. If your local water is hard, can use distilled water for misting since it leaves no watermarks; but avoid spraying the frog.

I have a flat heater set under the tank.
Heaters should not be under tanks in frogs enclosures. Reason is, that frogs burrow to cool down. Recommended enclosure temps are air temps close to where frogs "hangs out." That means the substrate temperature could be warmer than the recommended temperature. An alternate location is a tank side; but be aware the heat pad will lose heat to air surrounding it.

I also put smooth med size river rocks throughout the enclosure.
Fine as long as frog can't swallow them.

I mainly use small crickets but am not sure what else he will hunt and eat ( I saw some flightless fruit flies and considered getting some)
Crickets should be gut loaded with carrots, lettuce, and cherios. Size should be same as distance between the frog's eyes. If froglet is a baby can also offer FFs.
I use a calcium dust once a week on the crickets. Some tree frog owners culture Wax Worms and feed the emerging moths to their frogs.
If frog is a growing baby, you can add CA/D3 couple times a week and also give it some vitamins. Here are some schedules you can use: http://www.frogforum.net/food-feeder...schedules.html.

[MaddieC13]

With the heater on the side.... I know it may sound a little crazy but I am just afraid he will stick himself to the glass where the heater is and over heat/burn himself. Can that happen?

[wen]

Hi Maddie, Hope your froggy is doing well. It definitely looks like a Cuban tree frog. They are my favorites. Cubans have bright yellow under their legs and will change their skin texture and color to their surroundings but always be bright yellow under the legs. I have one frog who changes his skin to look like tree bark, he has many many bumps. Then another one I have is silky smooth and he stays white. If you have a male he will croak cute little croaks and yell out if in danger. If you have a female she will get very large, at 5-6 inches. They get more beautiful the older they get. Sounds like your frog has shown you how much it likes to eat. Mine did this too ate and ate like crazy and then one day just wanted a couple crickets a day.