Help- found frog in my indoor plant- identification please

[LilyPad]

That's a grey tree frog (hyla versicolor.) I'm surprised by how healthy she looks after months in the basement. I'm not sure what you can do with it other than care for it until it can be released or find it a home. If I lived anywhere near you, I would take her! Frog Forum - Gray Tree Frog Care and Breeding

[irThumper]

Wow, a Gray the size of a lemon?? Bet it's a female. Nice frog!

[LilyPad]

My Paddy is pretty big for a grey, but not size of a lemon...unless it is a small lemon lol. I think the sizing may have been a bit off scale. It is quite chubby for a basement frog though! One of my greys, Atlas, was found in a basement. He was very skinny, black colored, dehydrated, and lethargic. So I was scared to look at that picture! But she is definitely much healthier than the frog I got lol.

[axc123]

Wow, thanks for speedy responses...so it is from my region ? I was sure it was from my tropical plants shipped for florida or somewhere else..never seen this in my area before ( just the water type frogs).

about the size..small lemon..or big lime .. I have ponds outside and have tried to have frogs before with no luck.. now I have a tree frog..cool ! what do I feed it and care for it..it is loose in my basement..if it survives until may when I bring my plants outside, can I just release it outdoor (zone 5 garden zone here) ?

[UncleChester]

Wow, thanks for speedy responses...so it is from my region ?...if it survives until may when I bring my plants outside, can I just release it outdoor (zone 5 garden zone here) ?

Yes and yes. I had two turn up in plants a couple years back- http://www.frogforum.net/tree-frogs/...ersicolor.html I released them once the wild ones started chorusing, which was early May that year.

Amy linked to a care sheet. I would setup a temporary tank for it for the next couple of months, they can get themselves into trouble if they get to roam free indoors. If that's not feasible, you could probably find a local rescue group or frog enthusiast to care for it until spring.

[axc123]

thanks, I missed the first link (care) As I dont have access to food supply ..I will let it roam freely in basement as it has since Oct.. must be feeding on something as it is not skiny..(I have spiders in basement). I just hope it poops in my plants, and not my basement storage items... ( what does frog poop look like anyway ?)

Any taker in the Ottawa area ? ( email me here)
thanks

[UncleChester]

The poop will be little, maybe 1-2cm long and 3-4mm in diameter. Healthy frog poop will crust up after a day and can easily be cleaned up. If you break it apart you may be able to get an idea of what it's eating, some parts of insects can pass through undigested (wings, beetle shells, etc.). It's probably in a sort of 'winter slow-down', so it's not likely to poo every day.

If you are leaving it free range, you should provide a shallow source of fresh water for it to soak in. A plastic shoebox with no lid with 1/2 inch of water and a branch or two from outside so it can easily climb out might be a good idea. Frogs do 'pee', but in my experience greys like to do it while soaking so this would help contain it. The volume of 'pee' is small, largely inoffensive, and pretty dilute if the frog is well hydrated.

If you have sow bugs or roly polys in your basement you could collect them in a plastic shoebox with no lid and put them near the frog, watching them eat is fun and educational.

You might try contacting Untitled 1 or Reptiles Rock! Ottawa, Ontario Reptile Education, Birthday Parties, Summer Camp or other herpetological minded folk in Ottawa to find someone to take it off your hands. My concern with free range basement living is it ending up lost in a drain or finding the pilot light for a furnace, or other danger down there.