Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Ok, after my growing concern about my strange tinc.... I have spent as much time as possible watching her eat.

She will sit there and seems to not see the fly unless it is moving, a lot. She will attempt to catch it at least 5x before she either gives up and goes after a different one, or finally catches it. The leuc always gets them on the first try!

Should I be concerned? She is not gaining weight, yet has not seemed to lose any either. She is not the size she should be, but that could be due to her specific morph.

I am just so worried that maybe something is wrong with her eyesight or maybe even her tounge and it is keeping her from eating properly.

Any thoughts?

Thanks!

Ellena

Are her eyes apparently clear? Does she appear healthy and otherwise active and mobile? I've had this happen with froglets and even juveniles that miss the mark a lot, but go on to capture a different fly. My leucs never seem to have this problem, and while I don't have tincs, I've had others that just seem more clumsy about capturing food until they become adults. I'd defer to more experienced opinions, but frankly don't worry about this phenomenon in my own young froglets and juveniles as long as they are otherwise healthy and at least maintaining weight without getting skinny.
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Patty
Pahsimeroi, Idaho

4 D. auratus blue
5 D. galactonotus pumpkin orange splash back
5 D. imitator
6 D. leucomelas
4 D. pumilio Bastimentos
4 D. fantasticus
4 P. terribilis
4 D. reticulatus
4 D. castaneoticus

She looks and acts fine... other than being too small and too skinny in my opinion. I just feel so bad for her and like I need to help her eat. I dump all the flies (about 50 ) right in fron of her everytime I feed them and she still misses every time!

Well, not EVERY time, as you stated above. She is getting some food. Maybe you could put her back into a smaller modified nursery tank for awhile, keep her virtually surrounded with plenty of food and watch for awhile. I "modify" a nursery tank by using well-packed wet cocoanut fiber (such as Bedabeast) instead of paper towels, and add some plant cuttings such as pothos and curly ivy, and a small deli cup on its side with some spring water in it and keep a fresh leaf or two in this, as well as misting with spring water. I use the clear "critter keepers," rather than a shoe box, sealing off the vents with clear packing tape and/or Saran wrap on the outside, leaving the feeding lid free. I like to give them some cover to feel safe, but still be able to observe them.

That's just a suggestion that has worked for me both for new froglets and quarantining ill or injured frogs that I want to observe.
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Patty
Pahsimeroi, Idaho

4 D. auratus blue
5 D. galactonotus pumpkin orange splash back
5 D. imitator
6 D. leucomelas
4 D. pumilio Bastimentos
4 D. fantasticus
4 P. terribilis
4 D. reticulatus
4 D. castaneoticus

Thanks, I think I will do that. I just think she is the greatest and I would hate for something to be wrong with her and because of my ignorance, something bad to happen.

If she was eating/growing normally, I would not worry too much about it but because she is stunted and tiny for her age, I am thinking maybe it is because of her hard time eating.

Thanks for the help!

Ellena