Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey everyone. I was just wondering if any of you have spoiled frogs ? My frog Buddha(WHITES) has become extremely spoiled rotten. Everytime I leave my bedroom, or go to the other Frog's cages he croaks!!!! And sometimes, If he is up and I go to sleep He will croak until I get up and play with him. He is getting very attached to me. I can get up to go get water or something in the middle of the night and he will "Cry" until I go back in there. It's quite halarious!
Just thought that's funny.

Although I cannot explain exactly what is going on, this is a classic case of attributing human characteristics to an animal. I do not care to ruin your fun when it comes to keeping your pets, but when I see statements like "He will croak until I get up and play with him.", it concerns me. Frogs will often call in response to certain frequencies that are similar to their own species call, it is often very easy to elicit a response from a frog. I believe this is similar to the people I have come across who make the claim that their pet toad enjoys it when they scratch its side. Supporting their claim by saying the frog will close its eyes like it is sleeping and leaning towards the scratching just like what a cat does. What they are actually describing is a common defensive behavior that ultimately only puts more stress on the animal than anything else. Consider looking at the frog's behavior with an unbiased opinion and try to rationally explain its behavior. There is lots of easy to read animal behavior literature available, the biggest problem in the science of animal behavior is observer bias.
-----
...the oldest task in human history: to live on a piece of land without spoiling it."
Aldo Leopold (1938)

"Sometimes I think the surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us."
Calvin and Hobbes

On the other hand, if some humans were unable to relate to other species on human terms, and there are too many who don't, even dogs might be on the endangered species list.

In spite of what my college biology professors and mammalian physiology advisor preached, anthropomorphizing is not a mortal sin. It's only venial, like flirting and kissing. It keeps us connected with living creatures we could otherwise never understand or have empathy with. This unscienfic tendency is also a lot more fun that going through life with the stick of strict objectivity up one's butt, and a wet blanket of scientific method over the wonder of life and how it all relates together. Go read some Gerald Durrell, brother of the more literary Lawrence Durrell. He could be both a serious zoologist and write about the animals with anthropomorphic humor that both delighted and instructed his lay readers.

-----
Patty
Pahsimeroi, Idaho

4 D. auratus blue
3 D. galactonotus pumpkin orange splash back
5 D. imitator
4 D. leukomelas
4 D. pumilio Bastimentos
4 D. fantasticus pending

Nothing wrong with it except... with pet herps, when people assume that the animal is a little human in scaly or slimy pajamas, those people can tend to make assumptions that can be injurious to the animal's health. Such as someone constantly bothering an animal because they interperet the animal's behavior as a plea for comany. If the animal is being cared for perfectly, then it doesn't matter if it helps you with your homework telepathically.
-----
Peter: It's OK, I'll handle it. I read a book about something like this.
Brian: Are you sure it was a book? Are you sure it wasn't NOTHING?

Those were excellent post by both of you. Patty, you brought up a very good point. I was not condemning this person because they were anthropomorphizing, but that they were doing it in a way that could be detrimental to the animal. The perfect example are people who insist upon feeding their pet turtles three times a day because of the way the turtle "begs" for food. Obviously if the people were to look at this behavior objectively and knew something about the natural history of turtles, and knew the detrimental effects of overfeeding in captivity, then we would not have seriously deformed and suffering turtles that I come across on a regular basis. In this case, I was seriously concerned about the quality of life this frog is getting. Hence the lesson on anthropomorphism.

Thanks for the backup meretseger, it was excellent!
-----
...the oldest task in human history: to live on a piece of land without spoiling it."
Aldo Leopold (1938)

"Sometimes I think the surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us."
Calvin and Hobbes

I got a toad, his name is Luigi and he lives under his water dish.
He's a little B. viridis.
Er, so that's why I'm reading the amphibian forums. Although toad care doesn't seem to be rocket science.
-----
Peter: It's OK, I'll handle it. I read a book about something like this.
Brian: Are you sure it was a book? Are you sure it wasn't NOTHING?

he is happy! you should be very proud! when they sing they are proving that they are healthy and happy. im trying to get all my animals to be that happy but im off on some of the care. can you tell me all the details of his cage.the temperature his age,waht you feed him,and how much you feed him, how many hours of light he gets,if he has tank mates, if you use a cricket duster, his tank set up.... everything! you seem to know how to make them happy so let me in on your secret!!

Honestly Buddha's tank isn't nothing special. It's a plastc 10 gallon. I use that Repti Bark in the bottom. I buy the digestable kind with the calicum dust on it, So if he eats bark on accident while chasing crickets I don't have to worry about it. His cage stays between 70-80 degrees. I live in Texas and eventhough it gets cold the humidity is always high. I tend to not keep a heater on him. We keep our house about 75 degrees. The only time I really put a light on him was during his molt. I mainly put him in my bay window while I'm at college, so he gets a few hrs of Natural sunlight. I have heard people argue about giving them natural light. But, Buddha has the prettiest coloring. I only do this now because It's cool. Now In the summer I'd never sit him in the window!!!!! He has a few cutesy things in his cage. He has some neon green plastic plants, also has a little shark tank decoration he is always sitting on that, he also has a cool little rock tower type thing, that he seems to like. I mist him about twice a day and I fill up his little leaf with fresh declorinated water before I go to sleep, refill it when I leave for college, and mid day. I feed him 10 small crickets every other day ,dusted with Herp Care cricket dust once a week. I usually dust his crickets on Friday. I generally feed him Mon, Wed, Fri. I usually get about 15 crickets on Friday night so he has some left over sat and sun. He doesn't mind the crickets being in there. I also handle him alot. I'm constantly playing with him. He is very smart. He even opens his mouth on cue. He is done molting. So I can go up to the cage and open my mouth and he will copy me. It's so cute. I also go over his tank and rasberry him and now he will wait a few minutes after I do it...and he will seriously hop onto his little shark really fast and croak to scare me. It's funny. He isnt my only Froggy. I have a female African Drawf frog. If you don't have one, I recommend getting one. They are quite fun. She is a cutie as well. She is in a Sponge Bob aquarium. I regret buying it. The Filter is extremely loud!!!! It's got like a little bubble wall it makes and she plays in it. But, It's annoying. She likes to escape though....I learned the hard way with them. Don't make the water level high or they will get out. I have mesh over the openings. Buddha my whites gets out when I let him out. I don't mind him out. He is really good most of the time...
Good Luck with your Babies.
Britt

A White's tree frog needs at least a 20 gallon tank at adulthood. Humidity should be around 40-60%. The repti-bark isn't very good for frogs. I'm not sure if you have ever noticed, but the repti bark is actually dyed. If you get it wet you will find a reddish/brown buddle at the bottom of the tank. Since frogs absork through their skin, this dye could prove fatal to your froggie. That is also another reason you shouldn't handle them unless it is needed like for moving him to clean the tank. Anything and everything on you skin, including the oils that are naturally produced by your body can make your frogs ill.

You should look into getting him a larger tank, use Bed-A-Beast or any cocoa fiber substrate (comes in brick form that you soak in water to expand and it comes out looking like moist soil) Give him LOTS of plants to hide in and branches to climb on and you may also want to lower the number of crickets you are feeding him to avoid him becoming too fat.

Read up a bit on White's, compare the info and re-evaluate how you have him set up. You will provide him with a longer, happier life if you make a few changes in his keep.

Good Luck
-----
Heather
Dozer & ZeroCool

NP
-----
Got hips like Cinderella / Must be having a good shame / Talking sweet about nothing / Cookie I think you're Tame

I only was feeding him that cos he lost weight during his molt...He's back to only 4 crickets every other day........
He's not an adult yet. He is still a baby. He is only about 3 inches long. I rinse off his bark, I looked on the one I bought and it wasn't reptibark.......It's that flukers bark....and it said it has no dyes or anything fatal..He is only in here temporary. This guy I know Is building me a custom tank.....I'll have it in another week.....I think he'll be fine....Give me your opinion........I'll buy the bark you suggested...

Buddha is only 1 and 1/3 inch. I measured him with a ruler...So will he be okay in the 10 gallon for a week....???? I heard you say in another post it was okay for them to stay in a 10 until they hit 2 inches........

Instead of telling you all the things that you are doing wrong, I'm going to give you a link to go to so you can learn about the proper way to care for your frog. We just wants the best for the frog, so we take it very seriously when we see an incorrect enclosure. Please go to this site and correct everything that need to be corrected for the sake of your frog. I can tell that you love the frog, so please do what is best for it in the long run.
This is a reputable site, and the author knows what she is talking about.
Whites Tree Frog Care

-----
*~~Whitney~~*

There are two types of people in this world, good and bad. The good sleep better, but the bad seem to enjoy the waking hours much more.

My english wasnt the best in that last post!
-----
*~~Whitney~~*

There are two types of people in this world, good and bad. The good sleep better, but the bad seem to enjoy the waking hours much more.

That's ok Whit.... did you see my typomania? LOL
-----
Heather
Dozer & ZeroCool

Your English was acceptable. (actually showed "Human is to error"and was kind of fitting for the occassion. More important, your delivery was elegant, constructive and did not belittle. I believe that guidance takes great restraint,esp. when one see's the same issues over and over. I would hope the object is to bring the inexperienced to a higher level, not drive them away. These forums aren't "beginner", "advanced",etc. so the "veterans" should expect the redundancy. I say this with over ten years experience as a "veteran" in another field of interest. 10 long yrs. of redundancy and restraint to teach and expound on a hobby that I loved and wanted others to get the most out of for theirs and their subject's mutual benefit.

Thanks for not being critical. Everyone else who responded seems to think they are a vet are something. I'll check the site out.
BUT FOR THE RECORD I'M...
A) GETTING HIM A 20 GAL.
B) IM GOING SWITCH HIS BARK
C) I STOPPED OVER FEEDING HIM
D) HE WILL HAVE HIS LAMP ON NOW COS IT IS FINALLY COLD HERE IN TEXAS.