Dark green during the day?

[Immortal]

I noticed at Pet Smart they DID happen to have a red eyed tree frog. I even almost debated on purchasing it - until I noticed it was dark green and didn't know why considering it was the day time, plus it had light to know it was the day time. Anyone know why this is, if it's good or bad or just normal? Thanks!

[Kisa]

If the frog was just a darker color it could just be an indication of stress from being in the pet shop. If it was a fairly new animal it's definitely possible that it was just scared and so it changed it's color to blend in, or it was just a reaction to it's emotions. Unless there were any blemishes or discolorations on it's skin I'd say it was healthy, though a picture could certainly help us to decide. Were one or both of it's eyes open? Like it might be paranoid? My WTF slept like that for the first few weeks after I got him, like he was watching out for predators, and he was always a darker color until he settled in.

Also, if you do purchase a new frog, especially from a chain pet store, it would be best to keep it separated from Orchid for at least 30 days for quarantine to make sure you didn't buy the frog with any illnesses. If it does end up being sick, a quarantine will make sure Orchid doesn't catch anything it may have, like parasites or a bacterial infection. I quarantine all my frogs for 30 days to be sure they're not sick, and if they start to show symptoms you'll only have to take one of them to the vet as opposed to both to make sure the illness isn't spreading. A temporary home for a new frog is always an option, just as long as it's big enough and feels safe enough for the frog to be in for a month.

Hope that helped, just some thoughts.

[Immortal]

Thanks, good tip! Totally makes sense but slipped my mind to keep them separate for a while.

It did look healthy, no spots or anything on it. Wasn't too thin either, just dark green. Eyes were closed, it was sleeping on a coconut shell. I assume stress, they don't always have them in the most perfect conditions, plus I would think it is new since last time I was there they didn't have any.

[Kisa]

Absolutely, all frogs react differently to traveling to a new environment.

One question I would ask before purchasing it though, since it is relatively new, is where they got it and if they can give you any information on the breeder they received it from, if it even was a breeder. If the frog ends up being Wild Caught it could come pre-infested with parasites or diseases that could easily spread into your other frog. I would call the store and speak with the person in charge of Pet Care and ask them if they have any information on whether the frog was Captive Bred or Wild Caught. If the frog is dark green and reacting badly to the cage after being there for only a few days, chances are it wasn't bred in captivity, but this is just a guess on my part.

Another thing is see if you might be able to take a better look at the frog before purchasing it. Ask if you might be able to see it outside of the enclosure and awake, that way you can check the eyes for cloudiness and the rest of it's body for lesions, bumps, blemishes, that sort of thing.

I'm not sure if your local PetSmart would be accommodating in this way, but it really is worth asking. I bought my White's from a PetSmart down the street and one day after his fourteen day warranty expired his leg swelled up like a balloon and I found out from a vet that he had an infection that he probably caught from the conditions he was kept in at the store. Just want new members and hobbyists to know of the potential dangers when buying a frog from a chain store that seems to be in less than best condition. Mine was kept in a tiny critter keeper with nothing to climb, a cheap water bowl to sit in and a log to hide in. It was deplorable.

But anyway, just some more stuff to think about.

And yeah, a quarantine is just basic procedure. I think if you find a large critter keeper you can house the new frog in there on some paper towels for substrate and something for him/her/it to climb and hide in it would be fine for thirty days, just to weed out infection and definitely not as a long term home. Or you could use your old tank, the one you had orchid in before, since you're switching her to a new one soon, right?

[Immortal]

When I got Orchid, I did make sure she was CB and not WC. I asked to hold all the frogs they had and checked them over to see if any looked like they might be sick. They all seemed fine, one had a tiny gray speck near it's nose but it didn't look like anything disease-ish.

I noticed they are $10 cheaper at Pet Smart than where I got mine at, but price to me doesn't really matter, I just want a happy healthy specimen.

Critter keeper is probably a good idea. We're using Orchid's old tank for our green bottle blue T lol. Technically my bf is buying it from me so extra $ for more stuff for Orchid

[Kisa]

Yeah I find when I shop for frogs that cheaper does not always mean better. If you don't have the money to buy a healthy frog in the first place, how are you gonna have the money to take care of it if it's sick? Right? Not talking about you specifically of course, just using an example. I always try to by frogs in the best condition, at least after I bought Bruce Campbell anyway. XD Breeder's are the best way to go, but honestly there is a sense of pride in rescuing an unfortunate frog from the clutches of an evil chain pet store. >D

I'm glad you're making the effort to get healthy frogs. It ends up better for everyone involved. ^ ^