Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Yesterday I went to feed my dart. I opened the lid to his enclosure, and as usual, he jumped. However, this time, he went limp mid-jump and fell to the ground. So, I wet my hands, and picked him up. I was startled, and hoping that darts occasionally play dead or something. I picked him up, and he remained limp. I sprayed him down a bit to see if that would help, but all he did was blink and lay there. I fed him and left, hoping for the best.

A few hours later, he was hoping around again like a normal frog, eating flies and search his enclosure.

When I woke up this morning, he was laying limp again. When I sprayed him down, he blinked (like before). So, I made a mental note to visit these forums when I got back from school to ask for advice. However, I found him dead when I came home, in the same position that I left him.

I just can't figure out what it was. I fed him regularly, his enclosure was always humid enough (the meter I bought said it was always around 80%). About a week ago I ran out of calcium supplement... but I think a week is a little quick to get such a calcium deficiency that it kills you. What else could it have been?

Thanks in advance.

Once in awhile there is a mystery death, and unless you have the facilities to do a necropsy, etc. it may remain a mystery. It may have been something your frog was infected with or traumatized by before you obtained him. Check with the dealer. If it came from a reputable breeder, he or she will help you. You may not get your money back, because the buck usually stops with live delivery. If it came from a pet store, only God knows what it had been through before you purchased it.

Then go over the care sheets, and sort of do a flow sheet on everything happening. Did someone spray the room with a deodorizer, insecticide, clean the glass with windex, use some chemical nearby? Was it in a planted tank with fertilizers or new plants that may have been sprayed with insecticides? There are a million possibilities.

Don't be discouraged from trying again, however. Darts aren't difficult to keep.
-----
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