Dumpy Tree Frog Beginner's Dorm Room Challenge

[Em]

Hello! Last spring a student gave my science teacher a frog and she quickly bequeathed him to me. I wasn't planning on a pet frog but I looked up the species, read a care book, and have tried to accommodate him. I named him Dumpy and moved him to a new cage at my home. I brought him to college with me this fall. This past month it has been a chore to get him to eat and I am hoping that I can receive some advice.

Cage --> His cage is 12in x 12in. It has a 4 in. area below the doors to allow for substrate and 12 in of room for him to move. Dumpy usually liked to rest on the back wall of the cage and occasionally soak, though, generally he doesn't move very much. Lately he has been unhappy with the cage (it seems) and the other day he was constantly moving as if to escape. I have a piece of driftwood that he uses and a water bowl that I try to keep clean. I have rocks on the bottom of the cage followed by potting soil. I had three plants in the cage and Dumpy's favorite spots were well-covered, but now one of the plants' root system's became moldy and died. He has a tropical UV light but no heat light. He lives at room temp. :/


Feeding History --> When I first got him I tried to feed him live crickets and he rejected them. I spent 30 minutes a night trying to get the meal and the diner to cooperate and neither one wanted to. :/ So since getting him about 9 months ago I've fed him pre-killed refrigerated crickets. He generally would eat one once a day, which is surprising to me since other sources have reported that White's eat voraciously.

Current Problems --> Dumpy has become increasingly difficult to feed despite no change to the content of the diet. He looks about the same as he always has but seems less happy and lively than he used to.

Possible Culprits so far as I can tell-->

1. Substrate/Humidity. Dumpy has lived in a cage with real plants for about 4 months now and he showed no signs of dislike. Lately, however, the ground has become too soggy. I have seen elaborate designs to make a false bottom in the cage but I'm concerned that my cage is too small to make such a false bottom. Cage upkeep is a challenge in college but lately I've tried to keep fresh coats of soil present. I have some wood chips of an appropriate type but I didn't bring them to college sadly.
2. Heat. The temp Dumpy is exposed to is room temp. When his cage was in my room, all the heat lamps of the other species made it rather warm. Since moving him to college the temp has been in the 70's.
3. College. Dumpy had to go to college with me and I'm afraid that simple travel has made him stressed out. I don't know how to remedy this factor though...
4. Winter. I read that they become more dormant over the winter months. I hope that is the problem with Dumpy.

Please help! I'm heading home for a month very soon and I can make tank adjustments there. I do not know how to make his cage drain better and be warmer with the size tank he is in. If I get a larger one I doubt I will be able to accommodate him in a college dorm room. :/

[Mentat]

Frog is not well probably because it's environmental requirements in regards to space, humidity, and temperature are not being met . Please read this article that will teach you what a White's frog needs in order to live a healthy captive life: Frog Forum - White's Tree Frog Care - Litoria caerulea. If you can't provide those at college dorm; can someone at home care for it properly?

[elly]

My suggestions (not an expert): Maybe he'd do better at home, though you'd need someone to keep up humidity and temp and change water. A larger tank would benefit him, if you absolutely need one that's portable you could make a temporary quarantine tank out of a large clear plastic storage bin and use paper towels for substrate (changed every other day). HOWEVER it will be more difficult to heat since it's plastic. I have a 60W heat bulb suspended well over the top of mine so there's no melting plastic. Also for heating have you considered a heat pad? It won't keep things very warm and anything over 'mini' size should not be used on plastic, but it will provide supplementary heat. Last option for heating is a safe spaceheater. 70F is not terrible for a White's, but your frog probably won't feel his best at that temp. ....Another thing, since your frog's probably stressed you need to make extra sure that wherever you keep him he has places to hide. It may help to tape paper around 3 sides of the tank. ...About substrate, you don't have to make a fancy false bottom. I just have a drainage layer of clay aggregate. But the substrate does not need to sit in water. You're right that your current tank is too small for that, but it's generally just too small. ...Finally, only eating dead crickets is really weird. It's possible your frog is sick. It might help to put him on paper towels where you can monitor his poop. Runny/ bad-smelling stuff is a sign of parasites. But more than likely he's just severely severely stressed right now and not sick from the stress yet. He needs warm temps, hiding places, room to move around at night. Maybe then he'll become confident enough to go after live prey.

[elly]

On rejecting live crickets, did you leave him alone with the crickets? It's not great to let feeders roam the tank, since sometimes they take a bite out of the frog, but have you tried bowl feeding? Putting crickets in a sturdy, non-tippable bowl about 2'' will keep them trapped. Then give the frog some privacy, maybe leave the crickets in overnight.
Other things- maybe you'd want to cover all sides of the tank with paper since your frog is so stressed.
If you decide to make a portable tank, I suggest a storage container over 20 gal. Taller is better. You'll also need an x-acto knife, mesh, and a hot glue gun.
If you can get anyone at all to care for your frog at home I'd do that. Have you tried bribes?

[Em]

Thank you, I think covering his cage would be a good idea as well as the new way to feed live crickets. I'll def. try those. I can ask my parents to try to care for him but they profess that they don't think they can. I do not think he has parasites...his poop isn't runny. The idea of a heat pad is interesting...but I doubt that it would heat all 4 in. of room designated for substrate in the tank. :/ I'll ask for a new heat lamp for Christmas...

[irThumper]

Sorry you are having problems with Dumpy Frogs cannot digest their food properly when they are too cold. Also, is he getting any kind of calcium/D3 and vitamin supplements? Is his water treated? I totally agree with Elly; I would either try to find someone experienced in frog care to foster Dumpy for you (until you have better circumstances to keep him) or I would consider rehoming him.

[Em]

Hello all! Thank you for your concern. Dumpy is home now and in a much warmer environment...where he will stay! He's doing much better....I'll make sure to supplement his crickets and teach my parents how to feed him...I think they are more willing to care for frogs now that he wasn't in such a good condition for the last week or so. He's doing better already...He's hoping around too. Here's some pics of him from today.

[elly]

He's so cute! I'm glad your parents were willing to take him.

Maybe it's just his position, but it looks like the fold on his neck goes down all the way over his eardrum? If it always looks that way it might be a good idea to cut down on insects for a little while to prevent obesity and its complications. If he's an adult (3in plus) that is.

Edit after re-reading the original post: Maybe that's why he wasn't going after crickets enthusiastically? He doesn't look starved, he looks quite healthy unless it's bloating.

[irThumper]

Cute guy! Does he usually have the little spots? I was wondering if those are snowflakes or the infamous "lime green spots" I've read about (which can mean a skin infection) but you never mentioned anything before so I'm hoping that's his normal pattern

[Em]

He's always been spotted, but I'll suppose I should keep an eye out and make sure they don't change. And thanks for Dumpy's compliments!

[Em]

Since posting I have put him in an artificial environment that is hotter...about 80 on the floor of the cage according to the temp gauge. Once the heat came on he immediately started to spend all of his time in his water bowl and still has not eaten. o.o

[elly]

Hasn't eaten in all this time? That's worrying. I'd start searching for a vet that's willing to see frogs.

[Em]

I left Dumpy behind when I went back to college and he died a few days later. My vet decided that so long as she was given the right environment (she did for the last three-four weeks of life) she would start to eat again. I had her in a new terrarium with more heat but..

[LilyPad]

I'm sorry for your loss, Em

[elly]

I'm sorry.