False Tomato Frogs Hiding

[DYLAN]

Hi Everyone - your advice please.

I got my male Dyscophus guineti 96 weeks ago [ I keep records! ] and apart from the past few weeks he would half burrow and grab any passing cricket, coming out a couple of times weekly to bathe/poop and allow me to clean up his favorite spots - the substrate is moist coir and is 3 to 5 inches deep.

I added an adult female 24 weeks ago. Her habits changed from shallow but complete hiding for the first couple of weeks to joining him in the half hidden state for the next 16 weeks or so - both seemingly happy together and eating, bathing contentedly. Then her habit changed - she is now burrowing deeply and completely out of sight for a couple of weeks at a stretch, before surfacing to spend a day bathing and eating very few crickets. This past fortnight the male has also changed his burrowing activity - no longer shallow but at more than finger depth.

So I've not seen either frog for a couple of weeks. They don't sneak out overnight either. Their environment [ temperature, humidity, lighting, substrate ] hasn't changed and neither frog has been physically/emotionally disturbed to my knowledge. So need I be worried at the change in habits, the lack of eating, the hiding away? Is this 'normal' behavior? Any comments and your advice please.

CHEERS!

[Mentat]

Have you conducted fecal exams on frogs to insure they are parasite free?

[DYLAN]

Hi Carlos - Thanks for your reply.

Veterinary fecal exams on frogs may be a possibility in the USA especially in large city practices where there is diversity of 'interests' but UK vets. even in large cities as Bristol, almost entirely restrict their practices to the usual run of pets. My vet. as others, would quite happily send the feces to the veterinary department of the University or similar at Bristol Zoo - however the cost would be very disproportionate to the 'value' [ even to me! ] of the frogs. If there is any fecal examination that I can carry out bearing in mind that I have previous laboratory experience and [limited] access to stains etc. then please let me know.

I wrote in the hopes that this was not an unusual experience of other D. g. owners. Your reply hints otherwise. I should perhaps add that I have 16 other species of frogs/toads housed in single species vivariums, most of which have been with me for over a year, some approaching 18 months. I assume your parasite query relates to 'contaminated' food - in all but one species this is crickets [ hatchlings thru' to adults ] obtained from the UK largest supplier in whom I have faith that they supply parasite free livefoods. But other than in the livefood where could parasites originate?

Thanks again.