Is my White's underweight?

[Cristen]

I purchased a White's Tree Frog - Kermit - one week ago. We have him in a 10 gallon tank (recommended by the local pet store) now and we are planing on getting the one that stands taller then wide soon. I am not sure of Kermit's age, dont know if he is an adult yet or a juvenile but he is about 2 4/5 inches long.

Originally we tried feeding him wax worms, which he had no interest in at all. Then I got some crickets (medium with a couple of large ones). I was told 2 every 2 days but thought he looked thin, so I gave him 3 on Monday, 3 on Wednes, 4 on Friday (cause that's how many snuck out) and he would get all of them within about 1 min. On Friday is when I read about the glass bowl trick, but he still looks really thin, ran out and got him 2 dozen more as well as 3 meal worm. I put 2 crickets and 1 meal worm in his dish today and he ate the crickets right away, but doesn't seem to have any interest in the meal worm right now.

Now, the reason I think that he is thin is based on other photos that I have seen on the internet as well as on this sight. You can really see the bones in his back as well as the ones by the rear end area (sorry don't know any of the technical terms for the frog body). I am going to try to post some picts at the bottom of this thread but if I cant manage that, there are 3 pictures of Kermit on my profile page.

Please, let me know if you think that he looks under weight. I also want to know if it sounds like he is eating to much, or if this seems normal.

Thanks a bunch,
Cristen


Kermit - Top View




Side



Front

[Ebony]

Hi there, I dont think Kermit looks dangerously skinny but is a little under weight. This could be due to the fact that you have only had him for one week and it can take a new frog a while to settle in. The move can course a lot of stress to a frog and this could be the case for Kermit. The fact that he is eating is a good sign so I would just feed him every day until his weight has improved, then feed him every 2 to 3 days as much as he can eat in 15 minutes. With it being a week he should be starting to settle as long as he has plenty of hiding places to feel safe in his enclosure.

With Whites Tree Frogs, males are 3 inches & females 4 inches when they reach adult hood. If you haven't already the Whites Tree Frog care article would be good to read to check that you have the right temps and set up etc. Kermit is a cutey by the way.

Cristen if his weight does not improve then it maybe something else and I would get him to the vet immediately.

[Cristen]

Thanks Ebony, I have been feeding him quite a bit and want to fatten him up just a little bit. I do know to look for the things over the eyes getting fat which can go over the eyes and cause blindness. I did a huge amount of research on him before we got him because I want him to stick around for awhile. I didnt come across this site until just a couple of days ago, but have read the care sheet that is available here (as well as the one for every other frog - I'm kindof a geek like that LOL)

We think he is super cute too!! Just love him to death already!! I have a few calls into the local places to see if they do any kind of frog doctoring at all, just waiting to here back from them.

Thanks again,

Cristen

[1beataway]

What a cute frog!

[Cristen]

Thanks!! We like him -

[Skulldroog]

I don't think he looks underweight at all really. If you're ever scared he's not eating enough. You can feed him as much as he'll eat in one sitting until he stops, which is his limit.

[Cristen]

I don't think he looks underweight at all really. If you're ever scared he's not eating enough. You can feed him as much as he'll eat in one sitting until he stops, which is his limit.

well, I went and fed him about and hour and a half ago. The pet store was out of the bigger crickets so I have small with a couple mediums. My hubby sat on a chair to wait for him to eat them, since he'd never seen it before, and Kermit chowed down 6 smaller crickets right away, so I threw a meal worm in there too.

I have fed him about 6-8 of the small/smaller mediums everyday for the last 3 days, and one meal worm, with a 2nd one hanging out in his food dish. I was told to feed him every day till he gains a little bit of weight, but Im not sure how long to do this for. This afternoon when I went in there to check on him he looked thin again - how quickly do frogs gain/lose weight? or do I need to give him more during each feed, I really dont want to dump a dozen in there to see if he will eat them all (do they stop when their full or do they just eat anything that they can)??

[Kurt]

You can try feeding wax worms to him, they are high in fat and are good for putting on some wait.

[1beataway]

You can try feeding wax worms to him, they are high in fat and are good for putting on some wait.

Her frog hates waxworms.

[bshmerlie]

I've had a new Red Eye for a week and a half. I've been feeding him all he wants for the past 11 days and he's already looks better. When I first got him he would cling to the glass to sleep and now he sleeps on the leaves and is a lot more active at night. He also would soak in the water dish each night so he may have been dehydrated. If you're meeting all his requirements and you still feel something is wrong take him to a vet and have him checked out. It's better to be safe than sorry.

[Cristen]

You can try feeding wax worms to him, they are high in fat and are good for putting on some wait.

1beataway is right, I talked to her for a couple hours in the chat room my first night on here, and he wouldnt touch the things for 4 days when I tried to feed them to him. I actually tried putting a couple in his food dish yesterday with a couple crickets to try and "trick" him and he ate everything but the wax worms. I even left the wax worms out in a dish for awhile before I tried giving them to him so they were wiggly. But, there is no tricking him - he had no interest in them at all, little bugger.

[Cristen]

I've had a new Red Eye for a week and a half. I've been feeding him all he wants for the past 11 days and he's already looks better. When I first got him he would cling to the glass to sleep and now he sleeps on the leaves and is a lot more active at night. He also would soak in the water dish each night so he may have been dehydrated. If you're meeting all his requirements and you still feel something is wrong take him to a vet and have him checked out. It's better to be safe than sorry.

I was originally feeding him based on what the pet store told me, now Im giving him a healthy amount of food everyday. I have gone through a dozen small to medium crickets and 2 meal worms in just 2 days, which makes me think that either he is not an adult yet or he is a she and not even close to an adult yet. Right now he? is measuring at about 2 4/5 inches. So if its male he should be getting close to full grown, if female then we have some growing to come. Since we've got him he has only "croaked" once but it didnt sound like a croak (if that makes any sense) and it was on his very first night here (7 days ago). So I dont know.

But I am going to call the vet in the morning to see if he deals with amphibians at all, otherwise I am going to have to try to find one that is close (which I dont think is going to be very easy - as I live in the northwest corner of Iowa about 20 minutes south of the Minnesota border)

[CrazyAirborne]

I would think as long as hes eating (which he is), and quite a bit it seems! youre probably ok. Its when the frogs dont eat that we start to worry. also, ive noticed my whites will puff himself up sometimes in his water, or right after he eats, and he looks huge, and then other times, hes a little skinnier. I dont think its anything to worry about. have fun with your new froggy!!

oh and Whites are known to be piggies and just keep eating and eating...

[nana]

I think your froggie looks not too bad. I have one that looks similar but that is due to MBD which she had when I got her given to me. I hand feed her everynight and have done for nearly two years. Her weight never varies so as long as she is eating and happy then I'm happy too

[Kurt]

1beataway is right, I talked to her for a couple hours in the chat room my first night on here, and he wouldnt touch the things for 4 days when I tried to feed them to him. I actually tried putting a couple in his food dish yesterday with a couple crickets to try and "trick" him and he ate everything but the wax worms. I even left the wax worms out in a dish for awhile before I tried giving them to him so they were wiggly. But, there is no tricking him - he had no interest in them at all, little bugger.

It could be the activity level of the waxworms that doesn't appeal to them. Store purchased waxworms barely move, they few I have cultures move like the dickens.

[1beataway]

Maybe they don't like the taste, or the tecture. Luigi took the worm right away, but then after a few seconds in his mouth he spit it out. And look disgusted. I have at least 2 other people tell me the same sort of story.

[Cristen]

well, I am beginning to figure out that I might just be a lot paranoid . but better safe then sorry is a motto that I live by. Anywho, does anyone know how I can tell if my whites is a male or female, based on the knowledge that I have so far. Which is pretty much the size (2 5/6), only hearing one croakish sound, and the fact that right now Kermit is a hog and eating a ton (which could just be due to the fact that he is hungry). Oh, and I know that some males have gray on their throat but not all do right? Mine has no gray in that area at all.

[1beataway]

From what I've read, it's hard to distinguish. I always find statements like, "The females are slightly larger," "The males have a slightly darker throat," and "During breeding, the male may have brown pads on his feet." And I believe both male and female can croak, though the male will do it anytime and the female will do it as an answer, and that can make it hard to distinguish.

I do not know what I have.

[Cristen]

From what I've read, it's hard to distinguish. I always find statements like, "The females are slightly larger," "The males have a slightly darker throat," and "During breeding, the male may have brown pads on his feet." And I believe both male and female can croak, though the male will do it anytime and the female will do it as an answer, and that can make it hard to distinguish.

I do not know what I have.

K, well thanks anyway