# A hitch-hiker..



## SlipperFan (Nov 16, 2007)

This little guy must have come into my home via one of the plants that summered outside. He's been hiding in here since late September. Yesterday, I went down to my growing area, and I saw him sitting on a Phal leaf. Today, he was among my Phrags.

I think it's too cold out now to turn him loose -- I hope he can survive in here. Anybody know anything about keeping Tree Frogs inside for the Winter?


----------



## Eric Muehlbauer (Nov 16, 2007)

I've kept treefrogs as pets...keep it in a securely closed tank with a damp substrate...not sphagnum, since after awhile it begins to promote diseases like red leg. Try damp gravel. Feed it crickets and mealworms. I used to enjoy taking my kids out for walks on early summer evenings to catch fireflies...we'd then feed them to the treefrogs and turn out the lights...and watch the frogs light up! I've never succeeded in keeping treefrogs alive more than a few years...but you would have no problem keeping it alive until it can be released again in the spring....take care, Eric


----------



## practicallyostensible (Nov 16, 2007)

That's too cute. I've kept both Dendrobates and Red-Eyed Tree Frogs. If you want to keep him inside for winter he'll take small crickets. I make sure to gut-load mine before feeding them to the frogs (which entails keeping them for a few days and feeding them orange slices and flake banana and rice baby formula) or you can dust them with a calcium powder found in pet stores. If you want to put him in a container keep in mind that frogs like it clean, and I advocate paper towels as a substrate for first time herp keepers (also I've found that tree frogs love birds nest ferns in their tanks). If you need any specific feel free to PM me.


----------



## Hien (Nov 16, 2007)

What good thought Dot,

You never know, one day the kind deed will be return in kind that the frog will help you out in a distant future life.


SlipperFan said:


> This little guy must have come into my home via one of the plants that summered outside. He's been hiding in here since late September. Yesterday, I went down to my growing area, and I saw him sitting on a Phal leaf. Today, he was among my Phrags.
> 
> I think it's too cold out now to turn him loose -- I hope he can survive in here. Anybody know anything about keeping Tree Frogs inside for the Winter?


----------



## Hien (Nov 16, 2007)

Frogs in USA have better lives than some kids in other countries.
In our family, we use to say that some souls are lucky to be born as pets in this country:wink:


practicallyostensible said:


> That's too cute. I've kept both Dendrobates and Red-Eyed Tree Frogs. If you want to keep him inside for winter he'll take small crickets. I make sure to gut-load mine before feeding them to the frogs (which entails keeping them for a few days and feeding them orange slices and flake banana and rice baby formula) or you can dust them with a calcium powder found in pet stores. If you want to put him in a container keep in mind that frogs like it clean, and I advocate paper towels as a substrate for first time herp keepers (also I've found that tree frogs love birds nest ferns in their tanks). If you need any specific feel free to PM me.


----------



## NYEric (Nov 17, 2007)

Garlic sauce! :evil:


----------



## Corbin (Nov 17, 2007)

Love it. Do you know aht kind of frog it is? I have never seen a tree frog like that.


----------



## cdub (Nov 17, 2007)

It looks like Hyla versicolor. The Gray Tree Frog. It can change from pale gray to dark green, hence the name 'versicolor.' I kept one of these that I found in my yard as a pet in a simple enclosure and it did fine with crickets and such for food. Watch out though, if it's male, the nightly call is LOUD! Mine went right back outside after a few sleepless nights.

Remember, this is a native temperate species, and unlike tropical species, it is adapted to seasonality, and actually hybernates in the winter. It will probably do fine inside until spring, but may decline after long periods in captivity without its normal seasonal changes.

Cool orchid companion!


----------



## Sangii (Nov 17, 2007)

if you know anybody with a GH nearby you light want to ask if they would accept it in the GH for the winter. I have tree frogs hibernating (actually still pretty active) in the GH every year and I do not need to feed them, they get whatever they can and are actually great to get rid of gnats


----------



## Mrs. Paph (Nov 17, 2007)

Sweet, fireflies inside frogs! ....anyway, yeah, it looks similar to the treefrogs that hitch-hike on our family's Hobie Cat boats in MN (heck of a time to keep them from jumping overboard in the middle of the lake where a fish might eat them!) - They go a nice mottled grey on weathered tree trunks, but are usually bright green amoung leaves or on our boats! If you think it's too late for him to settle in and hybernate I think the above comments are right, feed him crickets or mealworms for the winter - though I spose if he tends to stick around and is visible on a regular basis I'd leave him loose w/ the orchids, he may find some of his own food that way, and you can leave him mealworms on occation!


----------



## Mrs. Paph (Nov 17, 2007)

Couldn't resist...I'm a fan of frogs...A baby tree frog, and birdsnest fungi, both from the great white north - MN 











Hope your treefrog has a happy winter indoors - don't let him get too addicted to orchids:rollhappy:!


----------



## SlipperFan (Nov 18, 2007)

Tell me more about mealworms. I have no experience with them. I know you can get them to feed to outdoor birds, but how to use them inside? Would I put them in a dish? Or set one in front of Mr. Tree Frog? Or...?


----------



## paphioboy (Nov 18, 2007)

Dot, get him/her to say ''Aaaa..." and drop the mealworms one by one into his/her mouth... 

Eric, how could you..! :sob:


----------



## Heather (Nov 18, 2007)

Cool thread. 

I've nothing to add here, but good luck with your froggy, Dot!


----------



## cdub (Nov 19, 2007)

SlipperFan said:


> Tell me more about mealworms. I have no experience with them. I know you can get them to feed to outdoor birds, but how to use them inside? Would I put them in a dish? Or set one in front of Mr. Tree Frog? Or...?



You'll need live worms. The bird feed ones sometimes aren't. The dish works wonderfully if the worms are live and move just a bit. But I also put the worms in front of them when the frogs were feeling under-the-weather.


----------



## NYEric (Nov 19, 2007)

Wax worms also.


----------



## TheLorax (Nov 19, 2007)

SlipperFan's treefrog is either Hyla chrysoscelis or Hyla versicolor. Very difficult to distinguish between the two other than that H. versicolor has twice the chromosome number (H. versicolor is tetraploid and H. chrysoscelis is diploid) and has a slow trill with longer gaps between trills while chrysoscelis has a higher pitched and much faster trill with shorter gaps between trills. 

I'm pretty sure the species that I find on my property is H. versicolor. At this time of year I find them toward the bottom of our firewood piles hunkering in for winter. I have to be real careful to search the firewood that is in contact with the ground because that's where they are most frequently found and I don't want to end up with sizzling treefrog in our fireplace. A few years ago, I didn't realize that our firewood piles were areas they gravitated to. Tossed a big old partially decomposing log in the fire and there it was. Jumped up and pulled the log out. Called a friend who is a herpetologist and he told us to take the whole log and put it back outside where it was to afford the frog the best chance of survival given they have little biological clocks inside of them that tell them when they need to sleep. 

Other than that, we have kept them for a few weeks from time to time in warmer weather. Kids bring them in. We stick them in aquariums with logs and live plants and leaf debris and toss in pinhead crickets that are gut loaded. Gut loading is very important. We have bought those little rounds of jumbo mealie worms and the kids toss other insects in that they find to include wolf spiders from the house. Everything disappears so the treefrogs must be happy with their offerings. And, yes- you can hang red wigglers in front of their faces and they will eat them. Bad time of year to be trying to dig up red wigglers though. 

Interestingly enough, Miss Paphiopedilum’s treefrog from Texas is also either Hyla chrysoscelis or Hyla versicolor in a green phase. Both of those treefrogs have a broad distribution range. 

http://www.herpnet.net/Minnesota-Herpetology/frogs_toads/CopesGrayTree_frog.html


----------



## Corbin (Nov 19, 2007)

"Miss Paphiopedilum’s treefrog from Texas" 

I thought that looked like the frogs we had all over the sides of our house. 

Miss Paphiopedilum, What part of Texas?


----------



## Mrs. Paph (Nov 19, 2007)

The part of Texas in Minnesota! Sorry...just giving you a bad time :rollhappy: oke: I was sure I put that in the post I haven't been in Texas for very long, since July of this year, haven't found frogs here yet, but green anoles and cool geckos run wild...


----------



## littlefrog (Nov 20, 2007)

Dot, you can turn her loose in my greenhouse if you want. She'd have a few tree frog friends. 

I took one just like that to the Milwaukee show by accident. Reached in to show a plant to somebody and ... whoa!! Must have ridden along in the crates. He is now running free in the Mitchell Domes.


----------



## TheLorax (Nov 20, 2007)

> I took one just like that to the Milwaukee show by accident. Reached in to show a plant to somebody and ... whoa!! Must have ridden along in the crates. He is now running free in the Mitchell Domes.


 Where was I when you found that special treat? Sheesh, all I got from you was plants. I feel really deprived now!


----------



## SlipperFan (Nov 20, 2007)

littlefrog said:


> Dot, you can turn her loose in my greenhouse if you want. She'd have a few tree frog friends.


Thanks, Rob. I may take you up on that. Right now, she's hiding somewhere -- I've not seen her for several days. I think I have to make a trip to Preuss Animal House for some mealies...


----------



## littlefrog (Nov 23, 2007)

I'll be in Saginaw this weekend if you find the frog.


----------



## SlipperFan (Nov 24, 2007)

Update:
Yesterday, I purchased some crickets. The little guy was hiding from me when I started moving my Phrags to insert a dish to put the crickets in last night. As I moved one plant, I saw the frog in it, and so I placed it right beside the dish. As soon as I dropped in 2 crickets, the frog jumped in and ate the two in quick succession. I figured he/she was hungry, so I dropped in two more. After 5 minutes or so of looking uninterested, when the two crickets were on top of each other, the frog nailed both at the same time.

This morning, Mr/Ms TreeFrog was still in the feeding dish, so I dropped in 3 more crickets. They were eaten one-by-one. I guess the frog was satisfied because it is now resting on a Phrag leaf several inches from the feeder.

My husband said I should name it (the frog, not the cricket). Anyone have any suggestions?

Here's the feeding area:






And the frog 7 crickets later:


----------



## goldenrose (Nov 24, 2007)

Lucky!


----------



## TheLorax (Nov 24, 2007)

What a wonderful frog mommy you are!


----------



## Corbin (Nov 24, 2007)

Good Growingoke:


----------



## paphioboy (Nov 25, 2007)

poor crickets... =P


----------



## SlipperFan (Nov 29, 2007)

This I found very interesting:
The first time I put crickets in the plan, the frog saw them and jumped in. The second time, I had to coax him in, but once he was in, it didn't take long for him to grab his lunch. But ever since then, when I go down to my "basement greenhouse" in the morning to feed him, he's sitting in the pan, waiting for breakfast. After he's had his fill, he jumps out and spends the rest of the day resting on a leaf.

I keep saying "he" but it may very well be a "she." I suspect it's young because it's still green -- the guy at the cricket store said they are gray when mature. No singing at all, but it may be the wrong season -- though to the frog, it must feel like summer because of the warmth and light duration.


----------



## TheLorax (Nov 29, 2007)

Nope, I don't think you can tell the difference between male and female. Size is supposedly more an indicator of age since they keep growing until they max out for their species. Take a ruler and measure the little guy. If he is anywhere between 3/4 - 1" he is probably only a year old. 1.5 to 2" and you probably have a mature adult of about 2 years of age or older. Although younger ones are generally green, color alone might not be a good indicator of age because there's a considerable amount of variability in the species. Also too, many revert to a green phase during breeding season, when humidity is high for some reason unknown to me, and also when they are in and amongst green foliage. You've probably got two out of the last three mentioned. 

I think it's neat that he is sitting there waiting for you to feed him. This frog certainly lucked out when he ended up stowing away on one of your plants.


----------



## NYEric (Nov 30, 2007)

Hmmm, if it wasn't for the fertilizer in my growing trays I might try to keep some frogs there. Maybe when I do disas...


----------



## SlipperFan (Nov 30, 2007)

NYEric said:


> Hmmm, if it wasn't for the fertilizer in my growing trays I might try to keep some frogs there. Maybe when I do disas...


But you need crickets...oke:

Actually, he doesn't stay in the bottom of the trays my plants are in. He sits on the media in the pots, or mostly, on the leaves. He prefers wide leaves, it seems. The only time he's in a tray is when he goes to the feeding tray. When he's done eating, he jumps out into the plants.


----------



## SlipperFan (Dec 14, 2007)

Update: within the past two days, he's been changing color. Notice that he is now gray. Hence the name, Gray Tree Frog!

He's found a nice warm spot -- on my timer -- where he spends most of the day now.


----------



## NYEric (Dec 14, 2007)

glad he's still kickin'.


----------



## TheLorax (Dec 15, 2007)

Awwwwwwww. 

He certainly looks well fed!


----------



## swamprad (Dec 15, 2007)

That's one happy looking froggy!


----------



## charlie c (Dec 15, 2007)

Dot, 

Did you settle on a name yet?

charlie c


----------



## philoserenus (Dec 15, 2007)

hehe seems like the froggie might end up being a long term residence. not to mention helps with any possible pests that end up in ur collection =)


----------



## SlipperFan (Dec 16, 2007)

Charlie & Nick: no name yet. I'm not sure I want to. I feel responsible to keep it until I can free it next Spring. I just hope it doesn't become so reliant on being fed that it can't fend for itself when it's free.


----------

