Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi,

I've had a Pacific Tree frog for nine months now, and she's doing great.. But I was wondering, should I get an undertank heater? She came right from the area I live in (she's wild caught) so she should be used to the cold (here it never gets lower than 40, but still). But I just feel bad just letting her sit there without any heat for the entire winter. What do you think?

Thanks,
Eden

In the wild, your frog will likely brumate during the colder months. That is, it will slow down it's metabolism, cutting off the need for nourishment, until the warm of spring brings back the food source and the energy to go out and catch it. The problem lies when the frog cools enough where any food can't be digested, yet not cool enough where the frog's metabolism still requires nutritional energy. I would suggest a low wattage (say 60W) light bulb above the cage to give a temp gradient that just reaches 80F or slightly higher at the hot end. That is assuming that your enclosure is otherwise kept at room temperature. Also monitor humidity as overhead heating may have a tendancy to dry things out, although if you're in the pacific northwest this may not be a problem

Ian