Two tree frogs, one is not eating! Help!

[Andie89]

Ok I'm going to start off by saying "hi" this is my first post lol. I have a question on what I should do to help my grey tree frog eat.
I have had my 2 grey tree frogs Rhonda and Mortimer for a little over a month, made them a nice habitat and feed them crickets every other day. Rhonda is a lot bigger which I understand is normal for tree frogs that the female is bigger than the male. I have noticed that Mortimer has stayed in 1 spot for days, then he would move to another spot and say there ect. I nudged him off the wall gently with my finger and he jumped across the tank. I got a good look at him and he looked "skinny". His sides looked a little sunken in and his back looked a lot slimmer and more arched. Every time I leave crickets in the tank Rhonda eats them first, I was hoping that he was getting a couple a night because I didn't see Rhonda eat all it put in. I put more crickets in the tank right in front of his face and he ate them. So I guess the problem is not that he's not eating but he's not super interested or he's not being "proactive" in eating. Should I try to feed him mealworms with tweezers? Is it normal to have to nudge some frogs away from a comfortable spot to eat? Just any advice would be helpful, thank you

[Xubby]

Sorry to hear about the trouble, but I think you're on the right track. Whatever it takes to make sure Mortimer eats a healthy diet, and regularly at that, needs to be done. They are nocturnal, so it's possible he's just disinterested in eating during the day. I wonder if Rhonda is simply better adjusted to diurnal feeding and eating more than her fair share. Dumping a few extra crickets in to make sure there's food for him is a good starting point.

Since he is so thin, I think you'd be best off directly monitoring how much he eats, either through tong/hand feeding or relocation. If he's hunting "okay" on his own, placing him alone in a critter cage or spare aquarium with prey might be easiest, but the best option is the one you're both most comfortable with. Some animals are fussy eaters or mediocre hunters and need that extra bit of attention. As always, make sure to be dusting with supplements.

While not necessary by any means, you might consider picking up some wax worms or some other caterpillar feeders. A few of those as treats (they have a high fat content) might help him perk back up.

[LilyPad]

I am having a similar problem with my red eyes. One of the members here suggested feeding them with two bowls. I will try that and see how it works. The problem with greys, and a lot if tree frogs, the females are gluttonous and will not stop eating, leaving the males less opportunity. Tong feeding should help so long as he takes to it. I kept my male grey in his own tank until he was a healthy weight.

[Andie89]

Thanks you guys! I'm going to get him some fatty treats and keep him by himself until he gets better . I've never owned frogs before and I felt terrible that he looked so sick because I feed him right and everything. We'll see how it goes, I appreciate the froggy advice

[LilyPad]

Fatty treats need to be RARE not regular. More like once a month. You can give him one to possibly stimulate his appetite (my greys HATED wax worms though) but not more than that. He should gain weight sufficiently on high protein low fat foods like crickets. Make sure you're dusting with calcium and vitamins.

Males also tend to be thinner than females, that's normal too. A picture might help determine how bad the situation is.