Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello, I am new to the forum and this is my first post here (although I have been "lurking" for a couple of weeks ) My tomato frog seems to be starting to brumate, he only ate about half his normal number of crickets. I actually had to remove crickets from his tank. This is unheard of for him, he usually eats like a horse. Now he is in the corner of his tank sleeping. I have read differing opinions about allowing frogs to brumate. What are your opinions on tomato frogs brumating? I am very attached to him and would be crushed if anything happened to him. He did not brumate last year (too young).

Thank you in advance for any help.
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Stacey

I *never* found it necessary to brumate a frog of any kind. However, no matter how you keep the environmental conditions (e.g., spring every day of the year), the frog WILL have a decreased appetite during the winter. It will not croak as much or none at all. It will not be as active. That is all normal.

Brumating is absolutely necessary ONLY if you plan to breed them.

If the frog has a weakened condition of any kind, brumation could kill it.

Even my pac man will not brumate, but almost entirely stops eating during the winter months. But it soaks in the water half the time and on land the other half.

Bottom line brumate only if you want to breed your frog. Otherwise, keep the environment with its optimal living conditions.

JadeFox

Thank you or your response. I think my tomato frog is doing exactly what your pac man frog does. His appetite is very low and he "sleeps in his water dish half the time and on land half the time. He defecated in his water today so everything is still moving through. I guess he just slowed down for the winter. He was doing that trill croaking thing at me today when I moved him out of his water dish to clean it. I think I pi$$ed him off .
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Stacey