Taming a tree frog

[artes]

If you want to actually play with her, wash your hands really well with glycerin soap before handling. If you wear a thin long sleeved shirt, the frog can climb your shirt without having to worry about your skin. I play with mine occasionally, and they enjoy the trip out of their tank. Just try to play with them in a (CLEAN!) bathroom, or a room without a ton of furniture, just in case - but once your frog gets comfortable with you, its not likely that she'll make her great escape. I can walk around with Froggie on my shoulder.

[LilyPad]

If you want to actually play with her, wash your hands really well with glycerin soap before handling. If you wear a thin long sleeved shirt, the frog can climb your shirt without having to worry about your skin. I play with mine occasionally, and they enjoy the trip out of their tank. Just try to play with them in a (CLEAN!) bathroom, or a room without a ton of furniture, just in case - but once your frog gets comfortable with you, its not likely that she'll make her great escape. I can walk around with Froggie on my shoulder.

How fun!!! I never thought they could get that relaxed with you, maybe I'll have to start working with her!

[artes]

I occasionally do photo shoots with Froggie too. My other frogs aren't quite as comfortable with me as Froggie is (though Toadstool is close). Some frogs take a lot of work, some are comfortable right away. Just do your best to escape proof the place you're playing with her just in case, and if she seems scared/uneasy put her back in the tank and try again a day or two later.

[LilyPad]

Thank you, I will see how it goes!

[LilyPad]

Should I take this as a bad sign?? I let her crawl onto my hand, and brought her slowly out of her cage, She was resting on the top of my hand....and then peed on me!! I'm guessing that is not the sign of a happy relaxed frog. I put her back in and will leave her alone for a while.

[DonLisk]

Warm Hand

[UncleChester]

The peeing is self defense- it is supposed to taste bad and can cause irritation if you get it in the eyes. (Note- I have no first hand knowledge of this as my general procedure has always been to neither taste pee nor to put it in my eyes).

I'm also fairly convinced that part of their self defense when picked up is to stick to you like the Millennium Falcon on a star destroyer until they have a good chance to escape. This is based on the many, many wild ones that I've handled to move out of danger (i.e. the lawn mower, whipper snipper, top of a closing door, etc). Once picked up, they tend to stick to you like glue, tame or wild, and I've walked around with wild Grays on my shoulder.

They will eventually get used to some handling, I do usually take my grays out of their tank when I feed them mealworms or waxworms (a couple of times a month) and they don't generally pee on me anymore (worm feeding time is also usually photo shoot time or cage maintenance time). Take it slow, and don't force the handling. Remember you should have her for many years to come so you've got lots of time to get familiar