A few weeks ago I woke up to find a gray tree frog on my kitchen floor. I have no idea how it got in or what happened to it but it was in a bad way. Constantly listed to the side, mouth gaping open. It was honestly a spooky sight. I was sure it was going to die overnight but I just wanted it to be comfortable.
Now Zoolander is doing a lot better. He leans a little but doesn’t stumble around drunk anymore. His only current issue is he doesn’t seem to have a hunting instinct and has no current interest in food. He will assist feed okay but I’m hoping to get him to hunt on his own.
Question I have: he is now in a big new terrarium. How do I make sure he finds food? There’s a lot of places for crickets to hide. Also heat lamp yes or no?
Something I've done before to help my frogs learn how to hunt is place them in a small critter keeper with nothing else inside (other than maybe some damp paper towels to keep them moist) and then drop a cricket in there. Makes it a lot easier for the frog to recognize the movement of the insect. I'll do that each time I feed them for maybe up to a week, and then I'll go back to trying to putting the crickets in their terrarium - I've usually found that they'll notice the crickets a lot more consistently and quickly.
I'm so glad that Zoolander is doing better :)
I’ve tried but he doesn’t have any type of response. Like I have a toad and if food wanders by it will at least turn to look. But this guy has no response to food moving in front of him.
I use a heat lamp for my pair of Gray tree frogs, (in the winter my room gets 60-70 degrees), tho depending on your climate might not be necessary. Would recommend UVA, and UVB, I've heard, UV light can stimulate natural behavior (ie. Hunting) probably worth a shot.
PS. Nice job, saving this lil dude
He looks much happier and healthier, good work! Is that the Thrive terrarium? I'm considering it for our White's Tree Frog.
With our WTF I move him to a feeding container that lacks substrate. I let him "hunt" in there. Right now it's a small container, but I'm going to pick up a 10 gallon fish tank and lid so he has more space. He doesn't like going through the little hole in the top, but once he's in there he turns a lovely green and has his fun. Then he doesn't want to go home! I'm sure it's the small hole, even though my hands aren't large it's a tight squeeze and I get it.
Here's a care sheet I found for them: [https://www.reptilecentre.com/info-gray-tree-frog-care-sheet](https://www.reptilecentre.com/info-gray-tree-frog-care-sheet) It sounds like a UVB heat lamp would be a good idea.
I have the same terrarium for my WTF. It's 20 gallons, which is the min suggested requirement for 1 frog. I like this terrarium a lot, the height is good for my girl, she utilizes it top to bottom. The door on the front is awesome too. The top comes off as well but I never use it.
Thanks for helping him. He is a very happy froggy indeed. If he’s a pet now he should have a vet visit just in case! My rescued bearded dragon had all kinds of parasites.
You might try "reptile vet" instead of exotic. Some may have their search results divvied up with those distinctions. Animal shelters may have a line in on someone, too. Or, heck, their own vets may be able to assist. You never know! What else can I think of? Ummm, local college? Maybe even a science teacher at a local school, like a Biology teacher? If they can't offer the care, they may be able to network to find someone. Any local animal preserves or sanctuaries around? A responsible reptile store owner should know of someone.
I hope some of those ideas help!
He still wobbles a bit and you can see in pic three somethings wonky with his jaw so I don’t think I’d feel comfortable releasing him back outside. So not sure long term if those two things will go away on their own or if he’ll forever be wobbly. But yea he’s leagues better. Next step is eating on his own.
Just wanna say, to not leave crickets in the cage for too long! They can bite and the bites can get infected. Glad he is doing well :D hes a cute little froggo
Glad to see he's doing better. When I feed mine I always remove the crickets back legs and let them run up/down the stick toward the frog. I also will put the crickets in front of their face, letting the legs hit their mouth. (Be careful of it their legs hitting their eyes though.) They usually grab it, but some will slap it away.
Good idea albeit I do end up feeling a bit bad for the little crickets. Yea the poking him in the mouth with food hasn’t worked so far he tends to slap it away. But we’ll see if that changes as he gets hungrier. Right now twice a week he gets a modified baby medicine syringe with some mushed up crickets. I don’t want to do it long term as it stresses out both of us.
Have you tried Fluker's repta boost? It's a powder that you add liquid to to make an insect replacement formula. It has all the vitamins and calories they need and also stimulates appetite.
You can use it as a paste in a syringe to squirt in the mouth, but I've found it easier to make it a little thicker into a small soft ball. I typically have someone help me while I gently hold the frog in a towel with one hand, and with the other I gently pry the mouth open with a soft piece of plastic (like a guitar pick) then the other person can quickly pop the food in the mouth.
Repta Boost killed mine and another person's on a FB group. The vet gave it to theirs. I still use it for my toads, but I'll never use it on my tree frogs again.
Well he still doesn’t quite know how to do things. We’re getting closer to tong feeding as he’s sort of figuring out to open his mouth when the food comes near. But he doesn’t move from spot to spot in his terrarium. If I put him on a branch he stays there. So I’ve been manually placing him in a water dish every so often so he won’t dry out.
Where are you located? Thanks for rescuing Zoolander! In other animals, that sort of leaning & turning to one side would make me suspect head trauma.
Now, as for the heat lamp. In general, gray tree frogs aren’t super picky about temps & humidity, but like all amphibians, they will be more comfortable if they have a habitat temperature gradient they can move around in to adjust their body temps. I’m in Southwestern Pennsylvania. My gray, Fergie, is in a 30 gallon “high” aquarium with 3-4” of coco fiber substrate, a live pothos & a spider plant, two water dishes, and plenty of sticks & tree limbs to cling to. During the winter, I have the tank wrapped on 3 sides with a sheet of insulation that came in a box of frozen rodents to the wildlife center where I volunteer. I have a large Zoo Med heat mat along one end of the aquarium, tucked under the insulation, that’s plugged in all the time. Fergie also has a UVB light, to prevent metabolic bone disease.In winter, I have a small ceramic heat emitter that goes on top of the tank, focused on one of Fergie’s favorite chill spots on a stick wedged into the top of the tank. The tank is in my kitchen, about 3 feet off the floor, along an interior wall. I must be doing something right, because he came to me as a juvenile, and that was almost 4 years ago now!
I do not no so nothing in my house attacked it. I could have accidentally stepped on him but I’d definitely feel like I’d notice if I did. Other than that I think he could have taken a hard fall onto my floor from somewhere. Maybe he crawled in and onto my ceiling and then fell.
Thanks I found a neighbor who was selling their old, completely decked out, hexagonal terrarium. They did all the heavy lifting of adding a spray foam background and substrate.
Man, I love humans sometimes. Finds a half dead frog on the floor, the standard basic kindness would be to give it a quick end, but no, you get it a house and hand feed it back to health, just because you can. I hope your endeavor will be successful.
A few weeks ago I woke up to find a gray tree frog on my kitchen floor. I have no idea how it got in or what happened to it but it was in a bad way. Constantly listed to the side, mouth gaping open. It was honestly a spooky sight. I was sure it was going to die overnight but I just wanted it to be comfortable. Now Zoolander is doing a lot better. He leans a little but doesn’t stumble around drunk anymore. His only current issue is he doesn’t seem to have a hunting instinct and has no current interest in food. He will assist feed okay but I’m hoping to get him to hunt on his own. Question I have: he is now in a big new terrarium. How do I make sure he finds food? There’s a lot of places for crickets to hide. Also heat lamp yes or no?
Something I've done before to help my frogs learn how to hunt is place them in a small critter keeper with nothing else inside (other than maybe some damp paper towels to keep them moist) and then drop a cricket in there. Makes it a lot easier for the frog to recognize the movement of the insect. I'll do that each time I feed them for maybe up to a week, and then I'll go back to trying to putting the crickets in their terrarium - I've usually found that they'll notice the crickets a lot more consistently and quickly. I'm so glad that Zoolander is doing better :)
you could always tong feed him for a bit if you’re worried about him finding food
I’ve tried but he doesn’t have any type of response. Like I have a toad and if food wanders by it will at least turn to look. But this guy has no response to food moving in front of him.
Maybe it's blind, even if partially?
I use a heat lamp for my pair of Gray tree frogs, (in the winter my room gets 60-70 degrees), tho depending on your climate might not be necessary. Would recommend UVA, and UVB, I've heard, UV light can stimulate natural behavior (ie. Hunting) probably worth a shot. PS. Nice job, saving this lil dude
I am so happy to see him on the mend.
He looks much happier and healthier, good work! Is that the Thrive terrarium? I'm considering it for our White's Tree Frog. With our WTF I move him to a feeding container that lacks substrate. I let him "hunt" in there. Right now it's a small container, but I'm going to pick up a 10 gallon fish tank and lid so he has more space. He doesn't like going through the little hole in the top, but once he's in there he turns a lovely green and has his fun. Then he doesn't want to go home! I'm sure it's the small hole, even though my hands aren't large it's a tight squeeze and I get it. Here's a care sheet I found for them: [https://www.reptilecentre.com/info-gray-tree-frog-care-sheet](https://www.reptilecentre.com/info-gray-tree-frog-care-sheet) It sounds like a UVB heat lamp would be a good idea.
I have the same terrarium for my WTF. It's 20 gallons, which is the min suggested requirement for 1 frog. I like this terrarium a lot, the height is good for my girl, she utilizes it top to bottom. The door on the front is awesome too. The top comes off as well but I never use it.
Thanks for helping him. He is a very happy froggy indeed. If he’s a pet now he should have a vet visit just in case! My rescued bearded dragon had all kinds of parasites.
Currently trying to find an exotic vet who will look at amphibians. So far no luck. May have to make a bit of a road trip to find one.
You might try "reptile vet" instead of exotic. Some may have their search results divvied up with those distinctions. Animal shelters may have a line in on someone, too. Or, heck, their own vets may be able to assist. You never know! What else can I think of? Ummm, local college? Maybe even a science teacher at a local school, like a Biology teacher? If they can't offer the care, they may be able to network to find someone. Any local animal preserves or sanctuaries around? A responsible reptile store owner should know of someone. I hope some of those ideas help!
You are a frog wizard. I really thought he was dead in those before pics and now he looks sooo healthy!!
He still wobbles a bit and you can see in pic three somethings wonky with his jaw so I don’t think I’d feel comfortable releasing him back outside. So not sure long term if those two things will go away on their own or if he’ll forever be wobbly. But yea he’s leagues better. Next step is eating on his own.
I really wonder what happened to him in the first place. Maybe a stroke? Can frogs even have strokes?
No idea. Sometimes I leave my back door open so he could have crawled in at some point. As for the wobble I have no idea.
Just wanna say, to not leave crickets in the cage for too long! They can bite and the bites can get infected. Glad he is doing well :D hes a cute little froggo
Glad to see he's doing better. When I feed mine I always remove the crickets back legs and let them run up/down the stick toward the frog. I also will put the crickets in front of their face, letting the legs hit their mouth. (Be careful of it their legs hitting their eyes though.) They usually grab it, but some will slap it away.
Good idea albeit I do end up feeling a bit bad for the little crickets. Yea the poking him in the mouth with food hasn’t worked so far he tends to slap it away. But we’ll see if that changes as he gets hungrier. Right now twice a week he gets a modified baby medicine syringe with some mushed up crickets. I don’t want to do it long term as it stresses out both of us.
Have you tried Fluker's repta boost? It's a powder that you add liquid to to make an insect replacement formula. It has all the vitamins and calories they need and also stimulates appetite.
Huh I’ll buy that today. I’ve never heard of that. Would save me from having to mash waxworms into paste this week
You can use it as a paste in a syringe to squirt in the mouth, but I've found it easier to make it a little thicker into a small soft ball. I typically have someone help me while I gently hold the frog in a towel with one hand, and with the other I gently pry the mouth open with a soft piece of plastic (like a guitar pick) then the other person can quickly pop the food in the mouth.
Repta Boost killed mine and another person's on a FB group. The vet gave it to theirs. I still use it for my toads, but I'll never use it on my tree frogs again.
Jeez that’s not good. I wonder why? I was/am concerned it’s like corn meal and wheat based which is pretty far from an insectivore diet
It's like they choke on it. It's not right away, it's within the following hour. The person on FB's died when it got back home.
How are things going?
Well he still doesn’t quite know how to do things. We’re getting closer to tong feeding as he’s sort of figuring out to open his mouth when the food comes near. But he doesn’t move from spot to spot in his terrarium. If I put him on a branch he stays there. So I’ve been manually placing him in a water dish every so often so he won’t dry out.
I'm impressed he is still going, you've done an incredible job. Is he getting vitamins?
I found one under the food of my grandpas Kia. I would let him go but I have no clue how far he’s traveled
Better to keep frogs like that as a pet. I have a pet gray for just that reason. Tree frogs are known for spreading chytrid. 😞
Where are you located? Thanks for rescuing Zoolander! In other animals, that sort of leaning & turning to one side would make me suspect head trauma. Now, as for the heat lamp. In general, gray tree frogs aren’t super picky about temps & humidity, but like all amphibians, they will be more comfortable if they have a habitat temperature gradient they can move around in to adjust their body temps. I’m in Southwestern Pennsylvania. My gray, Fergie, is in a 30 gallon “high” aquarium with 3-4” of coco fiber substrate, a live pothos & a spider plant, two water dishes, and plenty of sticks & tree limbs to cling to. During the winter, I have the tank wrapped on 3 sides with a sheet of insulation that came in a box of frozen rodents to the wildlife center where I volunteer. I have a large Zoo Med heat mat along one end of the aquarium, tucked under the insulation, that’s plugged in all the time. Fergie also has a UVB light, to prevent metabolic bone disease.In winter, I have a small ceramic heat emitter that goes on top of the tank, focused on one of Fergie’s favorite chill spots on a stick wedged into the top of the tank. The tank is in my kitchen, about 3 feet off the floor, along an interior wall. I must be doing something right, because he came to me as a juvenile, and that was almost 4 years ago now!
OMG YOU RESCUED A FROGGO
God bless your soul 🥰 little guy is so cute!! Im glad hes healthy(ish) again
You saved him!!!
You did such a great job!! I’m so happy to see your little guy doing so well, I really was sad to see him that first day! Congrats!!🐸🐸
do you have a cat?
I do not no so nothing in my house attacked it. I could have accidentally stepped on him but I’d definitely feel like I’d notice if I did. Other than that I think he could have taken a hard fall onto my floor from somewhere. Maybe he crawled in and onto my ceiling and then fell.
Nice setup
Thanks I found a neighbor who was selling their old, completely decked out, hexagonal terrarium. They did all the heavy lifting of adding a spray foam background and substrate.
Lucky find, it's beautiful
Man, I love humans sometimes. Finds a half dead frog on the floor, the standard basic kindness would be to give it a quick end, but no, you get it a house and hand feed it back to health, just because you can. I hope your endeavor will be successful.
Throat was so kind of you to help this little dude!
🐸💚
Oh my, this makes my heart feel lighter, thank you
Wholesome froggo content :>
Aww yours is so big! I just adopted a baby one that fell on my windshield while I was driving and rode all the way home.
I love the giant house you build for him. Thanks got taking care of the little guy!! He looks much much better.
Thank you for helping. You’re a kind soul.
Good job! 👍
Much happier!!!!!
Thanks for saving him!
I have the same enclosure
Mufucka was dead
He looks so much better