[KingCam]

Hello all!

First let me say, I am not new to keeping these creatures, but this is my first time cycling them and attempting to breed.

I'm definitely a newb when it comes to this, so hopefully you guys can help me out along the way.

I have 5 wc grey tree frogs of varying size. 1 is rather small, two are medium, 1 is large, and 1 is extra large. A couple of my frogs were calling often last fall before I put them into brumation.

I fattened them all up on lobster roaches, stopped feeding them in november, and gradually cooled them down to 50F starting December 1.

They are all "sleeping" together in a large Tupperware container, filled with damp peat moss with a water bowl. Occasionally one of them will be out and about, but for the most part they stay motionless in holes they have each dug.

They seem to be doing great and are still nice and plump.

I plan to take them out of the mini-fridge tomorrow and put them in the garage. I will leave them in their tupperware container in the garage until March 1st. On March first I will return them to their terrarium.

I recently removed the substrate from the bottom of their terrarium and replaced it with a 4 gallon rubbermade container. The container has aged tap water with a small bubble stone. Above the container are lots of limbs and some live plants.

I plan to let them adjust to the warmth for a week and attempt feeding on March 7th-ish.

I will mist them daily, and starting April 1st I'm going to try to mist heavily 3 times a day.

Do you think that will be enough to induce breeding behavior? I am hoping they will breed and lay eggs right in their tank. When/if I discover eggs I can just scoop them out and place them in a 10 gallon aquarium.

Am I on the right track here, guys? Give me some advice!

 

[kgb]

Your probably in the wrong forum... this is DENDROboard... just sayin' I know nothing about tree frogs.

 

[KingCam]

Your probably in the wrong forum... this is DENDROboard... just sayin' I know nothing about tree frogs.

Uhm... ...isn't this the "Dendroboard > Miscellaneous > Other Amphibians > Tree frogs" category?

My mistake if I posted this is the wrong area

 

[kgb]

YEP, it sure is. LOL My bad... I picked it straight out the home page and didnt bother to look up at the category. My bad!! Good luck

 

[Judy S]

sounds as though you have done your homework on this subject...good luck, am going to subscribe with the hope and expectation that someone has the right answers for you...(I have tree frogs as well, so am pretty interested in the advice you may get...) good luck!!!

 

[Azurel]

Sounds like you have a good plan better then the one I had planned last year when I was going to breed mine......It is my understanding that they lay on the surface of the water so if they dont have any branches or anything they can get down to the water they could drowned while trying to lay. There is another site that has some really great info about breeding them, don't want to link here so PM if you want and I can send along the link to the artical.....The person who wrote it is also a member here and goes by JohnC......

 

[Groundhog]

Well, you will at least induce amplexus...

Did you purchase these or collect them? Do you know if they are H. versicolor (pretty trill. diploid) or H. chrysocelis (shrill trill, tetraploid)?!? In both, males are smaller and will have some indication of a darker, folded throat.

Three suggestions:

1) Have you tought of a timed mister? Morning/evening?

2) Try to offer a day/night fluctuation in temp;

3) Why not gradually increase photoperiod? I don't know how important this is, but it certainly will mimic what is going on outside!

Good luck to you--do keep us post-ed...

 

[Groundhog]

Addendum: For those not familiar with these species--grey treefrogs #%^@* rule...

 

[KingCam]

YEP, it sure is. LOL My bad... I picked it straight out the home page and didnt bother to look up at the category. My bad!! Good luck

No worries, sounds exactly like something I'd do LOL Thanks for the luck, I'll need it!

sounds as though you have done your homework on this subject...good luck, am going to subscribe with the hope and expectation that someone has the right answers for you...(I have tree frogs as well, so am pretty interested in the advice you may get...) good luck!!!

Thanks, and good luck to you, too!

Sounds like you have a good plan better then the one I had planned last year when I was going to breed mine......It is my understanding that they lay on the surface of the water so if they dont have any branches or anything they can get down to the water they could drowned while trying to lay. There is another site that has some really great info about breeding them, don't want to link here so PM if you want and I can send along the link to the artical.....The person who wrote it is also a member here and goes by JohnC......

You're absolutely right, I need to add some brush or something to the water reservoir. I totally forgot to do that ~oops~ Thanks, and I'll be sending you that PM soon, I'd like to read the article to which you refer.

Well, you will at least induce amplexus...

Did you purchase these or collect them? Do you know if they are H. versicolor (pretty trill. diploid) or H. chrysocelis (shrill trill, tetraploid)?!?

They were collected. I'm in an integrate area, so they could be either one. I don't think I'm experienced enough to say whether it's shrill or 'pretty.' But if I had to guess I'd go with shrill.

In both, males are smaller and will have some indication of a darker, folded throat.

I can tell you the two I had calling last fall were both smaller and at times displayed a very dark throat. The two bigger frogs did all they could to ignore them I'll see if I can get a couple of pictures a bit later today, but they have all been in brumation, so I dunno if you'll still be able to see the dark coloring of the throats.

Three suggestions:

1) Have you tought of a timed mister? Morning/evening?

I don't really have the funds for something like that right now, and since I work a normal 9-5 Mon-Fri job it won't be hard for me to maintain a constant misting schedule. I already mist my salamander tank twice a day to keep the sphagnum alive.

2) Try to offer a day/night fluctuation in temp;

That won't be difficult. Their basking lamp will be off at night and I let the temperatures in my house drop by 5 degrees at night. (70F early morning, 66F day, 62F night) Of course when it gets warmer outside those numbers will change, but I still like it to be colder at night than it is during the day no matter what time of year.

3) Why not gradually increase photoperiod? I don't know how important this is, but it certainly will mimic what is going on outside!

That's what I plan to do. They have been sleeping in a mini fridge, so for the past 2.5 months they have been mostly in the dark. The garage gets light from outside, so starting today they will be on "nature" time. After two weeks in the garage they will move into the animal room. All of the lights in my animal room are on a timer and mimic natural daylight hours. I plan to leave their basking lamp off for an additional week or so after they move back into the animal room.

Good luck to you--do keep us post-ed...

I will definitely be keeping this post updated. Thanks for all of your help!!

Addendum: For those not familiar with these species--grey treefrogs #%^@* rule...

I absolutely love my frogs. They are so much fun. It's amazing how much personality those little fellas can have

 

[KingCam]

Okay, instead of taking photos later, I'll just share some from last year.

This is Frogger. I believe Frogger is a female.

Frogger loves her lobster roaches XD

Frogger (right) sitting with Bud (left), I think.

Bud I think.

Frogger again.

I feel kinda bad, but I can't tell which one this is, lol. I forgot which frogs have which eye marks ~oops~ I'll figure it out when they come out of brumation. I think this one might be Kermit.

Okay, I'm going to attempt to guess which frogs are which. the frog closest to the bottom edge is Weiser, I know that for sure. Weiser is the biggest one. The one sitting on the wood above Weiser I think is rocket. Now for the three on the plant. The one closest to the camera (showing her butt) is Frogger. The frog just beyond her might be Bud. The frog in the top of the plant might be Kermit.

I believe Bud & Kermit to be Males. I believe Weiser and Frogger to be females. I have not decided what I think Rocket is. Perhaps a male?

 

[Azurel]

They look great really cute frogs and really like their call......One of my favorite frogs just couldn't deal with the crickets although I do get to see them quite a bit at my parents house last year I counted 35 differant frogs around their house, pool and pond......Good luck with them.

 

[KingCam]

They look great really cute frogs and really like their call......One of my favorite frogs just couldn't deal with the crickets although I do get to see them quite a bit at my parents house last year I counted 35 differant frogs around their house, pool and pond......Good luck with them.

Thanks for the kind words I don't do the cricket thing. I freakin HATE crickets. I breed lobster roaches (nauphoeta cinerea) and blaptica dubia roaches.

 

[Groundhog]

I absolutely love my frogs. They are so much fun. It's amazing how much personality those little fellas can have

Yep! Would you agree that these guys can be active, curious and almost friendly? I bet they have come to recognize you as their mommy who feeds them, no?

I know that some will think we are anthropomorphizing here--but for those who are unfamiliar, I can tell you that grey treefrogs (and other N. A. Hyla species) make great pets!

 

[KingCam]

Yep! Would you agree that these guys can be active, curious and almost friendly?

Definitely curious! And always friendly towards me, their only source of food

I bet they have come to recognize you as their mommy who feeds them, no?

You've got that right! You should see them all line up at the front of their enclosure every night waiting for food lol

I know that some will think we are anthropomorphizing here--but for those who are unfamiliar, I can tell you that grey treefrogs (and other N. A. Hyla species) make great pets!

They certainly do make great pets, and whether the anthropomorphism is imagined or not, anyone who's ever kept a grey tree frog will know exactly what you're talking about

 

[KingCam]

Just an update. I did see a couple of the frogs in amplux this spring, but there were never any eggs. Next spring I am going to have a rain chamber for them. I am sure I have a mix of copes & regular grey tree frogs, I'm just keeping my fingers crossed for at least one compatible pair.

 

[yellow dart frog man]

We got greys here in kansas!! But i can never find them I used to own one myself but he Died Good luck breeding. I call first tads to be mine!!!