# Frogs & Toads > Tree Frogs >  White's tree frog not eating

## ChrissyBee

I have had my white's tree frog since last spring. He is about medium sized for a white's, he's grown since I bought him. He was a typical greedy eater until recently, and now I'm getting worried.

He is an exoterra terrarium (12x12x24). The bottom is flooded and one half is covered with gravel and coconut fiber in which various live plants are rooted. He has climbing vines and several ledges. The room temperature is kept at 21 C at all times, during the day a full spectrum day lamp and heat bulb are also on, which brings the temp up to about 26 C. The humidity is fairly steady around 65-75%.

He spends his days in a planted ledge I have, hiding underneath the plant leaves, and then comes out when it's dark. I typically feed him every 3-4 days, with 4-5 large crickets, a hornworm or an earthworm. I dust with calcium once per week and vitamins once as well. 

Usually he is a great eater. He would eat his food as soon as he noticed it, within a few minutes. But over the past month or so he doesn't appear to be eating - or at least not successfully. I have been finding his food alive or drowned in his water in the morning. At first I thought maybe he was just having some bad luck with catching it or was knocking it down into the water, but it is happening too consistently now. I am starting to think he hasn't eaten in a month or so, except maybe a few crickets. I did check on him last week after feeding him crickets and found him sitting in his pool, which was a first. I assumed he'd chased a cricket down there, but wasn't sure. I like to leave him in peace in the dark while he eats so I didn't see what had happened. But I didn't see him actually eat anything.

I put a hornworm in two nights ago and found it on his plant in the morning, alive. I took it out and put it in again last night, making sure that he was up and awake before I did so - he was. He looked fine. But this morning I found the worm drowned in his water pool.

I am wondering if this could be to do with the winter? The room is cooler than usual and of course there is less daily light, could that be influencing his feeding and activity level? Also, before this issue came up I gave him a very large hornworm and I'm wondering if it was a bad experience and my have made him not want them anymore? Does that happen? I hadn't realized how large it was until I put it in the tank, but as I tried to get it out again he pounced and ate it, but it was a struggle for him. He did poo the following day so I assumed all was well.

Any advice would be appreciated.

----------


## elly

Huh, I have no idea but then I'm not a vet. The slight change of temperatures might have influenced him, but it's never influenced mine like that. Normally I'd guess impaction or constipation but that's probably not it unless he ate something inorganic after he pooped last. (Is the gravel covered with water where he can't get to it? If not it should be.)

If you can find and afford an exotic vet in your area, you should try taking your frog, because it sounds like he either has an unspecified illness or he ate something from the tank that he shouldn't have.

----------


## ChrissyBee

No the gravel is too large for him to ingest in his pool (large river stones) so that's not a problem. I'm going to try to get a good look at him this evening. Would impaction have any outward signs at all? Bloated belly maybe? I did see his usual big poop about a week ago but nothing since, however I don't think he's eaten since either  :Frown: 

Could it be worth trying to place him in a small container with his food and see if he eats? Maybe it's an issue with hunting?

----------


## irThumper

One week out shouldn't be anything to worry about poop wise IF your frog is acting normally. What is your lighting schedule? It should be 12 hrs on and 12 hrs off. I'd say get that heat bumped up... did you mean room temperature as in the room he is in vs the heat inside the tank? 21C (appx 69+F) is too low for a constant temperature in the tank, 26C (appx 78+F) is better, but it sounds to me like maybe he could be having some digestive issues with the cooler temps, try for 73-75F (appx 23-24C) at night and 80-85F (appx 26-29C) during the day. I would also get a fecal test run on him next time he produces poop. One thing that might help is to give him a warm honey bath: 3 to 4 drops of pure natural honey (not a cornsyrup-honey sauce) per 8 oz of dechlorinated water, just barely warm to the touch on your wrist. Leave him soaking in that (in a container he can't get out of, but do not leave him unattended!) for appx 20 minutes, then give him a tepid bath of water without the honey to clean off. That usually produces a poo either while they are soaking or within a day or two. 

It would help if you could read this thread and then answer the questions so folks have some better ideas of what could be happening and how to help http://www.frogforum.net/tree-frogs/...enclosure.html Thanks.

Hope your little guy gets back on track soon!  :Smile:

----------


## Xavier

If he is protesting, try giving him wax/butter-worms in a dish where they can't get out to entice him to eat. They are fatty so use them few and far between and gradually put more and more of your staple food item in with the wax-worms, until you stop giving him wax-worms and give him all normal food

----------


## irThumper

Forgot to mention that a minimum size enclosure for an adult White's tree frog is generally 20 gallons for the first frog and an additional 10 gallons for each extra frog, so you should probably look into upgrading him to an 18"x18"X24".

----------


## ChrissyBee

Thanks for all the replies and suggestions  :Smile: 

Whoops, he is in an 18x18x24, not sure why I thought it was only 12x12.

I will take him out tonight to get a better look at him and try the waxworms, that's a good idea. Probably the honey bath too.

----------


## ChrissyBee

Well last night I added a night heat lamp to bring the temp up a little. Then I put a hornworm in when I knew he was awake and watching from his perch. Waited a while and he didn't eat it, found it alive and well in the tank this morning  :Frown: 

I guess the next step is to take him out and have a good look at him, try a honey bath too.

----------


## irThumper

Hope the honey bath helps! Let us know how it works out  :Smile:

----------


## ChrissyBee

Great news  :Big Grin: 

I decided to try once more last night to feed him before attempting the bath. I put a hornworm right in front of his face and....success! He ate it up. I'm so relieved. I was starting to really worry about the little guy.

----------


## Lynn

Great ! I be you are relieved. 

 :Butterfly:

----------


## ChrissyBee

I am! I do have a question about temperatures, just to make sure I have things in his habitat comfortable for him.

I checked the digital thermometer and during the day his tank is around 23 C, which I'm thinking may be a little too low? Since I added the night light, the evening temp is 25 C, which is good but now it's warmer than the day! So I am guessing I should increase the daytime temp to 28 or 29? It would be easy enough to do with a more powerful light.

----------


## irThumper

Yay! Good froggle!  :Big Grin: 

You definitely want it warmer in the daytime and a few degrees less at night. You could bump it up that way, but be sure to monitor it carefully and also make sure humidity doesn't drop too low. If he doesn't poo after that hornworm I'd definitely give him the honey bath.  :Smile:

----------

