Found a tree frog in our house. 5 year old boy wanted to keep it. Went to pet store and purchased 28 gallon "Waters Edge" Bio habitat. Frog seems to be doing well and my kids are getting a LOT out of taking care of it. We have had the frog for about 1 month now and I'm finally getting around to doing some more extensive research on it. We actually found another baby tree frog and thought it would be a good companion, but due to my negligence (I hate to admit it) it died. I feel bad enough about the little frog, so the least I can do is make certain we're not hurting the one we have. Have even thought of releasing the frog we found and getting a frog that was brought up in captivity. Biggest questions revolve around air circulation and humidity/water in the bottom of the tank. We currently have a folding glass top (that came with the tank) on the tank with a fan that circulates air (also came with the tank). I've read a good bit lately about screen lids etc but only found one reference to computer fans that would be similar to the setup we have. We also have some pea gravel in the bottom of the tank (about 2 inches deep) and have the entire bottom of the tank filled with water (about 3 inches) for a total depth of about 5 inches. The intent is to introduce some fish and other things at a later date so ideally we can keep the water level at least this high. At the bottom of the tank there is a ledge that is left above the waters surface that allows the frog easy access in and out of the water. It extends the length of the tank and is where the crickets hang out etc. Bottom line is that the frog doesn't have to be continually hanging out in the water. Kids like playing with frog and holding him, letting him climb on them. They are 5 and 3 and are "reasonably" gentle for a 5 and 3. I typically let them play with him in a DRY bathtub, so that he can't get away too easily. So, some questions... 1. Do you think the fan with glass lid is giving the frog enough air circulation without a screen top? 2. Do I need to be concerned about having too much water in the tank bottom? 3. Are my kids stressing the frog too much by "playing" with it? 4. Any chance that residual soaps and shampoo etc. in the tub might cause problems for the frog? Any insight appreciated. Thanks!
1. I have never seen this type of set up. Generally tree frogs do not require fans for cirulation. A lot of people keep their frogs in glass tanks with a glass canopy with only a few small holes or slits for air exchange. The idea being to keep a very high humidty inside the cage. People who use screen tops will often cover 1/2 to 2/3 of the screen with glass or plexiglass for the same reason. Since you have quite a bit of water in the bottom of the tank you needn't worry about humidty. If the fan is the only air exchange available, no holes in the cage at all, then I cant see it doing any harm. However if you do have additional hole/openings I doubt you even need it. So yes, the fan should provide plenty of air for the frogs while still keeping the humidty high. You do not need a screen top and many frog keepers do not like them. Although Ill bet the real reason the fan is there is to keep the glass from fogging up. 2. As long as the frog has plenty of land area and an easy way to get out of the water should he fall in you're fine. Treefrogs dont spend very much time on the ground anyway. It can sometimes be difficult to keep fish with frogs but thats another matter entirely. Right now we just talking about froggy. 3. Probably. Most tree frogs are small, delicate creatures. Generally amphibians should be handled as little as possible. Some frogs are better cut out for handling than others. Like a full grown bullfrog. It would be better for the frog if he wasnt handled. However its hard to take the joy of discovery away from a child so perhaps keep it to a minimum and teach the children that its better to watch the froggy. Like fish. Children learn that touching the fish can hurt them, maybe try that route. As you stated its better to let the frog sit on the childrens hands or climb on then rather than grasp him. As that could cause an injury or damage his skin. 4. Frogs are very sensitive to chemicals. They absorb everything. If the frog is going to come in contact with the tub at the very least give it a good rinse with the showerhead before he gets in there.
The answer to 3 is YES. Frogs and toads in general should not be handled. Our skin has oils on it that are harmful to them. They soak up everything through there skin. 4. Yes. Dont put it in the tub. Why would you put it in the tub anyway? The fan is actually good. Airflow is always good for clean air and clean enviroments. Just mist a couple of times a day to keep the humidity up. If there is dry land for the frog to get out of the water on, then you dont have to worry to much about the depth of the water, just make sure there are easy exits for the frog to get out on. Lastly, if it were me, I would let the frog go outside and go to the petstore and let the kids pick one out. Alot of the times, wild caught frogs and toads dont do well. Ecspecially when there is alot of stress involved. And with your kids holding the frog all the time, its chances are slimmer. If you are going to keep it. Do some research and find out what kind of treefrog it is and setup the proper environment for it. Leave it alone for a week or 2, except for misting and feeding. This will give it time to settle in without over stressing it. If you need help getting an ID on the frog, post some pics of it, and what state you live in, and I should be able to tell you what it is and point you in the right direction for caresheets. Good luck.
JBCT- Just realized a reply I made earlier didn't post for some reason. Will try again in the next couple of days. Big deadline at work right now. Anyway, again big thanks for the info.... I feel better. Nuggular. Thanks for the reply. I'll try and post some pics. Eddie
