Interesting to read! Take a minute!

[elly]

My little one does the same thing.* He goes crazy in the tank, but when he comes out he's calm. Mostly.
I think the cage frenzy might have to do with frustrated hunting instincts. Once they get out they have more area to survey and look for bugs so they're calmer and more willing to sit there and scan the area. That's my idea anyway. edit: Also it may have something to do with the area outside the cage being less familiar.

*My big frog on the other hand is only just beginning to be willing to leave his tank.

[MantidBro]

Interesting indeed! maybe they feel more free out of the cage so then dont feel the need to escape?

[MariePey]

Interesting indeed! maybe they feel more free out of the cage so then dont feel the need to escape?

Thanks for your reply!

The hypo there toadally make sense.

Was able to talk with a biologist and looks like i dont quite hace a full answer..


Coukd be also breeding/hormone frenzy. Meaning they might of associated me with the female kind.. I am a female, just not quite green! Lo

The other possible option, has environment is not the issue, might of been a simple learned behaviour. Especially from my younger one has he jjst started that a few weeks back..

Still quite interesting!

[irThumper]

I doubt it's a breeding reaction to you. You are a mammal.

That being said, I don't live with your frogs so can't make suppositions on why they act the way they do, but I DO know that tree frogs in general seem to be quite intelligent. When I first got my Milkies they were just over a year old, too small, way too thin, and wild as could be! I'd go to clean the cage or something and they would jump like kangaroos in the opposite direction; having to get ahold of them for precautionary anti-fungal treatments for 11 days was nerve wracking to say the least. I never thought these frogs would calm down. Anyway, I've had them since June and they have doubled their size at least, and a little something changed them from wild leapers to bug beggers... I was bowl feeding these guys crickets, with the occasional waxworm, and decided to try them on butter worms. They didn't want the butter worms. Those things were spendy, so I left them in the bowl and added crickets-- a couple more days went by and no butter worms OR crickets were eaten. I removed the bowl and tossed the bugs down the toilet. I was worried that the Milkies hadn't eaten in 3-4 days when they had been eating everyday, so I tried something on a whim. The frogs were perched in their sleeping spots, still dozing even though I had just turned the red nightlight on. I took a cricket and held it under the first ones nose... GLOMB! He grabbed it and crammed it in, FIRST time ever trying to hand feed (remember I couldn't even get close to them before). Tried this with the other frog with the same results. I gave them each four crickets. The next night I turned off the lights and they immediately woke up and turned toward me. I looked at them looking at me and wondered if they'd hand feed for me again... YES! They actually came toward me and eagerly grabbed up every cricket I handed them. They have been this way ever since, and will watch me from inside the tank or come toward me anytime of day or night (when they are awake) and I just walk by. My WTFs don't even do that, lol, though they will turn toward me and prepare to glomb when they know it's feeding time :P

[Cliygh and Mia 2]

Not related to frogs, but my rescue bearded dragon "Lucy" as her previous owners called her, let her eat almost all insects because she hadn't transitioned to greens and other plant matter as a juvenile or sub-adult. Needless to say, they never held her either, unless cleaning her tank which by the appearance of it, they didn't do often. When I got her, she was defensive, puffed out her beard, made herself look bigger, stretched out, and for 1-3 weeks I kept holding her to the point of I wasn't going to hurt her. I gave her super-worm salads, and she while I was getting a super-worm in the salad dish, grabbed it out of my hand. I now hand feed her most foods, unless they are crickets ( I hate them btw) or a salad. Also, when-ever she sees our shorkies get out of their boxes, she claws at her tank, and follows me around to get out. She has become so tame in that regard, when-ever I try to put her back in the tank, she scrambles up my arm and tries to evade me. I'm pretty sure that has to use some intelligence, and who knows, maybe frogs have the same "Tame" instincts, but their "Wild" instincts take top priority

[elly]

@ irThumper: I know frogs wouldn't have a breeding reaction to humans- not green enough! But IF frogs were able to smell or sense hormones somehow they might recognize estrogen among other hormones...assuming estrogen is involved in female frogs. *Goes to brush up on shameful gap in bio knowledge.*

[Cliygh and Mia 2]

Or maybe they started caring where their food comes from...