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I got a frog :]

Ponka

Ponka

Microscopic Fairy
After months of researching, getting the right supplies, and even more researching, I was finally able to get a frog!! His name is Fergus, and he's a male juvenile Whites Tree Frog. I got this specific species because they tolerate handling better compared to other amphibians. I got him about 2 weeks ago so he's still new, but so far he's been adjusting really well.

His diet mainly consists of medium-sized Dubia roaches, large crickets, and freeze-dried mealworms. He much prefers the live food over the mealworms which makes sense. I typically feed him either two Dubia roaches, two crickets, or 1 of each daily, with a mealworm as an occasional snack. As he grows I'll slowly start feeding him less and less. Adults only need about half of what I feed him daily, but right now he's a juvenile so he definitely needs those extra nutrients.

I have him in a 20 gallon vertical terrarium in my room within the basement. I usually keep the temp around 75F-85F (about 24C-29C) during the day and 70F-80F (about 21C-27C) at night. I try to keep the humidity around 50%-75%, nothing too crazy. For lamps I use a basking and UV bulb during the day and a heat lamp at night since the basement can get cold. I usually mist his tank a couple times a day, just enough to keep the substrate moist.

Being a nocturnal frog, Fergus is very active and vocal in the evening through early morning. He really likes being held within his tank, but once I take him out he gets stressed. He croaks a lot, whether it's when I mist his tank, or when he hears a vacuum upstairs, or even my mom's voice. He doesn't like being in water that much, so I make sure his water bowl stays shallow, and I make sure that when he has his weekly bath the water is shallow as well.

Overall I think he's very healthy and I hope he stays that way. I'm thinking of getting him a friend in the future, when I can afford a bigger tank and more food. Whites Tree Frogs are fine being housed alone but they definitely would prefer groups. They live on an average of 10-15 years, but with the right conditions they can live up to around 20 years in captivity, so I'm really excited to see what'll happen by then.

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Ponka said:
After months of researching, getting the right supplies, and even more researching, I was finally able to get a frog!! His name is Fergus, and he's a male juvenile Whites Tree Frog.
Click to expand...
They're native to the top end of Australia and very common, as well as being very noisy in the right conditions.

Your temperature range is at the lower end of what they require. In the Australian tropics day time temperatures range from 29 to 36 degrees celsius all year round, there is no winter. And during the wet season when they are at their most active the night time temperature rarely drops below 25 degrees.

Darwin-Annual-Temperatures.webp


They don't just eat insects either. They also eat small lizards, juvenile snakes, bird's eggs and baby birds.

bb84c5ad04ef03eff08efe907fabc6cb.webp


I should also mention that the only time these frogs ever go in to water is to breed. They don't live in water and don't even need to live near water, they are Tree frogs, not pond dwellers.
 
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tree said:
He has a weekly bath?
Voluntarily?
Or with assistance?

He's so shiny, he looks ceramic.
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I make sure to give him a 5-10 minute soak in shallow lukewarm water myself about once a week. I do it to encourage shedding as juveniles shed a lot more frequently than adults. It stresses him out a little bit, but I've noticed he stays a lot calmer when my hand's in the water with him
 
Outdated said:
In the Australian tropics day time temperatures range from 29 to 36 degrees celsius all year round, there is no winter. And during the wet season when they are at their most active the night time temperature rarely drops below 25 degrees.
Click to expand...
That is very interesting! All of the research I've done says that Whites Tree Frogs thrive in temperatures around 24C-29C. I'll keep an eye on Fergus to see if he needs a higher temperature in his tank, but so far I haven't seen any signs that he's cold.
Outdated said:
They don't just eat insects either. They also eat small lizards, juvenile snakes, bird's eggs and baby birds.
Click to expand...
Ohhh yeah, if it fits in their mouth, they'll attempt to eat it. Fergus has recently entered the phase of trying to eat my fingers. They're also known to cannibalize each other if there's a size difference, which is why juveniles and adults must always be housed separately.
Outdated said:
They don't live in water and don't even need to live near water, they are Tree frogs, not pond dwellers
Click to expand...
I only give him a weekly soak for 5-10 minutes because of this, just to encourage shedding as juveniles shed frequently. He does have his own water bowl in his tank but it's small and I've only seen him use it once. Once he's older baths will probably be less often, if any at all.
 
Ponka said:
After months of researching, getting the right supplies, and even more researching, I was finally able to get a frog!! His name is Fergus, and he's a male juvenile Whites Tree Frog. I got this specific species because they tolerate handling better compared to other amphibians. I got him about 2 weeks ago so he's still new, but so far he's been adjusting really well.

His diet mainly consists of medium-sized Dubia roaches, large crickets, and freeze-dried mealworms. He much prefers the live food over the mealworms which makes sense. I typically feed him either two Dubia roaches, two crickets, or 1 of each daily, with a mealworm as an occasional snack. As he grows I'll slowly start feeding him less and less. Adults only need about half of what I feed him daily, but right now he's a juvenile so he definitely needs those extra nutrients.

I have him in a 20 gallon vertical terrarium in my room within the basement. I usually keep the temp around 75F-85F (about 24C-29C) during the day and 70F-80F (about 21C-27C) at night. I try to keep the humidity around 50%-75%, nothing too crazy. For lamps I use a basking and UV bulb during the day and a heat lamp at night since the basement can get cold. I usually mist his tank a couple times a day, just enough to keep the substrate moist.

Being a nocturnal frog, Fergus is very active and vocal in the evening through early morning. He really likes being held within his tank, but once I take him out he gets stressed. He croaks a lot, whether it's when I mist his tank, or when he hears a vacuum upstairs, or even my mom's voice. He doesn't like being in water that much, so I make sure his water bowl stays shallow, and I make sure that when he has his weekly bath the water is shallow as well.

Overall I think he's very healthy and I hope he stays that way. I'm thinking of getting him a friend in the future, when I can afford a bigger tank and more food. Whites Tree Frogs are fine being housed alone but they definitely would prefer groups. They live on an average of 10-15 years, but with the right conditions they can live up to around 20 years in captivity, so I'm really excited to see what'll happen by then.

View attachment 148466View attachment 148467View attachment 148468
Click to expand...
Fergus looks like a very happy froggy dude. That is really cool, I'm happy for you. Now I want a frog, but I'm sure even with the very best of secure enclosures, my cat would find a way. Please post photos of Fergus occasionally so we can live vicariously through you. :)
 
Ponka said:
That is very interesting! All of the research I've done says that Whites Tree Frogs thrive in temperatures around 24C-29C. I'll keep an eye on Fergus to see if he needs a higher temperature in his tank, but so far I haven't seen any signs that he's cold.
Click to expand...
The temperatures you've given him are fine, but that's the coldest they can really go. If he likes sitting on your hand all the time that's a sign that he's cold, he's after your body warmth. This temperature chart is for Cairns over on Australia's east coast, it's much further south than Darwin and it's climate is about the coldest of the range that these frogs can live in.

Cairns-Annual-Temperatures.webp


The dry season - cooler temperatures - are when these frogs enter a sort of hibernation period. They'll stay near water for the humidity (people's bathrooms) during this period and eat less trying to conserve both energy and moisture. When the weather warms up and the humidity increases is when they become more active and start looking for mates. When it's actually raining they become very noisy calling for a female.

Ponka said:
I only give him a weekly soak for 5-10 minutes because of this, just to encourage shedding as juveniles shed frequently. He does have his own water bowl in his tank but it's small and I've only seen him use it once. Once he's older baths will probably be less often, if any at all.
Click to expand...
He'll get in the water himself if he's getting too dehydrated but in the wild this is something they try to avoid unless absolutely necessary because in the water they're at a disadvantage to predators.

Ponka said:
Ohhh yeah, if it fits in their mouth, they'll attempt to eat it. Fergus has recently entered the phase of trying to eat my fingers. They're also known to cannibalize each other if there's a size difference, which is why juveniles and adults must always be housed separately.
Click to expand...
You can try him on some special treats such as small strips of raw meat, or the yolk of a hard boiled egg, but as you probably already know, these can be special treats only because he needs chitin and bones in his regular diet to aid his digestion.
 
Ponka said:
Ohhh yeah, if it fits in their mouth, they'll attempt to eat it. Fergus has recently entered the phase of trying to eat my fingers. They're also known to cannibalize each other if there's a size difference, which is why juveniles and adults must always be housed separately.
Click to expand...
Perhaps you should have named him Hannibal Lecter? :eek:
BTW, how do you know Fergus is a male, or even Gaelic? 🤔
 
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