My Pet Tree Frogs

[LizStreithorst]

I like listening to the froggies sing as I fall asleep during the warm months.  I set up a couple of simple habitats for them, one outside my bed room window and another outside my fish room.  I had no idea that a couple of them would adopt me.

I have two that have been living in my fish room for about 6 weeks.  One, the plain one, I see often.  Her (his?) favorite place is on the top curve of the faucet of the utility sink.  The other is more reclusive.  I only see it a couple times a week.  It has a pattern on it's back.

My question is, what to I feed the little guys when it gets cold out and there are no insects available?  There is a bait store in the little town where I have my shop.  I'm sure they sell crickets.  Will they eat crickets?  I'm thinking of buying crickets and just turning them loose in the fish room.  Then what do I feed the crickets to keep them alive until the tree frogs hunt them down? 

[Jo]

Those little frogs are cool! No idea how to care for them. Can't wait to hear more on this subject.

[b125killer]

I'm not sure what kind of frog you have but this is A link to Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_green_tree_frog

[LizStreithorst]

Here's a pic of one of my little freinds,

[Mir]

Aww. what a cutie! It looks kinda like a gray treefrog but I'm not sure. if it is then the guys with have dark throats and yellow legs. They're really pretty. If you do get crickets I'd try to get small-medium ones, not adults. Maybe you could get some kind of container to put them in where they can't get out but the frogs can go in and find them? You can get some special cricket foods from pet stores (I like Flukers) or you could just give em some vegetable scraps you have left or even some crushed dog/cat food.  Even if you can't feed them and they go back outside they'll probably just brumate/estivate and survive until next year.

[LizStreithorst]

Dang! Thank you, Mir.  You certainly know your frogs and crickets.  You must be comtemplating going for something in biology after you graduate.

They are grey tree frogs.  The recluseive one has the diamond pattern on it's back.  The friendly one does not.

I have lots of empty tanks.  I can put a 29 in the fish room and put food in it.  From what I have read, fish flake is a good food for crickets, too.  I will use that.  If the crickets abandon food and go all over the fish room, the frogs will just have to hunt them down.

[Mir]

Oh. DUH! Why didn't I think a fish person would have fish food?! Of course that will work too.   they might like it if you moisten it a little.

And actually, I aspire to be a veterinarian for all species of companion and wild animals, including fish and invertebrates. <3 I know a lot about greys unfortunately because I had some as a kid (whom I wild caught) and tried to keep them as pets. They lasted a little while but it just wasn't right for them. . I feel so bad about them and all the garter snakes I kept too. T_T

[LizStreithorst]

Over time you will narrow it down. A veterinary licence is good, but not great these days.  Vets are a dime a dozen and most people can't tell a good one from a bad one.  I know.  I'm old and I've seen it all.  When the time comes, it would be good to specilize.  Not many people in vet school are interested in cold blooded animals.  You are.

[Mir]

Yeah, I know not everyone who "loves animals" has to be a vet, but gosh darn it, they stole my idea! I've always wanted to be a doctor, and I won't be in it for the money. I'd like to provide my services cheaper than "a dime a dozen" if at all possible. lol. I probably will like to specialize in some fields that non-mammals don't get as much care in, but I'd still like to have the general mixed practice license just for when the time comes that I'll need to use it. And it's always nice to be a doctor on the side when you've got another paying job too lol.

[Mugwump]

Yeah, I know not everyone who "loves animals" has to be a vet, but gosh darn it, they stole my idea! I've always wanted to be a doctor, and I won't be in it for the money. I'd like to provide my services cheaper than "a dime a dozen" if at all possible. lol. I probably will like to specialize in some fields that non-mammals don't get as much care in, but I'd still like to have the general mixed practice license just for when the time comes that I'll need to use it. And it's always nice to be a doctor on the side when you've got another paying job too lol.

Good for you....we're proud to have you here, too....go get em, girl...grab those stars...

[Mir]

Lol, thanks Mug. <3

[LizStreithorst]

Back to the topic at hand.  I found another one today.  It must have found it's way in through the pet door.  When the time comes that I don't have moths and spiders in my fish room I'll turn loose a bunch of crickets.  It won't bother me.  I'm not a neat freak.  If the crickets chirp at night all the better.  Besides, I'd rather see wild animals hunt for their food.  It's better for them than having it served to them on a silver platter.

Come Spring, they will find their way back out of doors and reproduce.  Next winter they might remember the warm place with water and food and visit me again.

[sschind]

If I could only keep 1 species of animal it would probably be a huge terrarium with gray tree frogs.  I've kept dozens of exotic species of amphibians and reptiles and they just may  be my absolute favorites.  Everyone get so hung up over the exotic species that they overlook the gems in their own back yards.  That's probably why they are attracted to the exotics but I am just the opposite.  I grew up listening to these little guys (huge voices for a small frog) and "road hunting" them on rainy spring evenings.  As a kid we had 1 individual return to the same hub of an old wagon wheel my parents had in their flower garden for three summers in a row.  I could always find specimens in the cross bars of our swing set or our wash line poles. We had one take over an abandoned bird house and he would sit in the opening looking all fat and happy.  If you ever decide you want to make them a more permanent resident there are few frogs that make more suitable captives.  Just make sure you don't keep any males in your bedroom (or anywhere near for that matter) or you will be awakened by their call.  Still, in the wild, or semi wild in your case, is always preferable.

[Jo]

I like the frogs too! I saw some at petshop yesterday. Someone had posted about them in another thread and they are very tempting!