Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Please take the time to read this.. I need help from someone. I got my first frog yesterday at petsmart and its a white dumpy tree frog. Hes pretty big already.. looks about to be full sized, but the people at the store said he should only be about 2 months old. Is this normal or is he older? Also, i live in a dorm so the temperature is regulated around 72 degrees Fahrenheit. The people at the store said i didnt need a heater for him, just to mist daily for humidity. I have a light on top of the cage which I think gives him extra heat. Is this okay? Im also not good dealing with live bugs so i decided to start with the frozen crickets and see if he would eat those. I put three in his feeding dish last night and they were still there this morning so i dont think hes eating. Is there anything I can do? Does this mean he doesnt like them or just simply hasnt found them yet? And one last question, he seems to just stay in a hole in the tree i got him to climb around on. I know they are inactive but I fear that he is depressed or sick or something. Im assuming that i just didnt see him move around last night because i was asleep when he decided to venture out of his cage and that hes just taking time to get used to his new settings. Is this normal? I just tried to get him out and he peed all over me because he seemed scared. I dont know what to do because I fear he will be inactive so long to the point where he wont eat and will eventually die. Please help!!! This is my first frog so I definitely need a lot of help! Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

hes temp needs to be around 80 to 85, as for the food anfibions are stimulated to feed by specific movements done by prey, frozen just wont cut it unles you can get it to move, your probably going to have to give him live food (just the way it is). how big is he, they can grow fast in there first 6 months, but he is brobably older than 2 months. it will take him a week to get useto his new home. As for the peeing, thats a normal deffence, as he gets useto the handling he will stop. It sounds like he will be just fine

I keep my own frogs in a dorm and they do fine around 72-75, personally. If they seem a little chilly (Digging into the substrate, lying on the ground, etc), turn the lamp on. Unlike lizards and some snakes, Whites' don't need a light for their habitat. Using it is fine, just make sure he can't touch it or has somewhere to get out of the light as they can sunburn their skin.

As for the hiding, Whites' are nocturnal and would get munched on my predators during the day if they were found so they like to smush themselves into little holes and hide under plants. If you don't have any yet, those fake plants with the suction cups they sell at petstores are great. My little guys are always sleeping behind those (Plus you can get a peek at them during the day while they're sleeping!) If you dim the room in the evening and keep quiet, you may be able to see your new frog exploring his new home. Mine always take a dip in the water dish first thing before climbing around.

As the other poster said, frogs need movement to find their food so live crickets are the way to go. Best way to deal with them is to make or buy a cricket keeper and keep them in a semi-dark area. I keep mine in a plastic tupperware type cup with holes punched in it with a couple pieces of egg carton in it. When you feed, just pop the top and turn the cup sideways but not completely over. Crickets will walk out on their own and fall into the frog tank. It's the best way to not have to touch them. The larger crickets do "sing" at night but I find it kind of relaxing, especially in the winter.

Projectile pee is just the frog being a bit scared of you. They don't drink water so they soak up water and store it in their bladder. Most of the pee is water so a quick wipe up is all that is needed if they do pee. Whites' are known to be fairly friendly pet frogs so just give him time, he should come around. Start slow at first, the frog may have never had human contact before the pet store, placing the frog on your hand in the tank and letting him sit there. I have one frog (not a Whites' but another tree frog species) that I suspect is a wild caught animal. She is TERRIFIED of me but has slowly graduated to allowing me to watch her while she's sitting in the frog tank or letting me get in to mist a bit without freaking out.

Sounds like you're starting out fine with your new frog. Just get him some live crickets and he should be a chubby little thing soon enough.

Go back to the pet store and buy your first book on keeping frogs in captivity. There are typically several avialable for less than the cost of the frog. You and your frog will benefit greatly from this small investment.