whites care?

[aaron]

I've been reading about care and housing but there seems to be alot of differences in husbandry on each site i've visited, Can someone clear things up for me please!? U.V. lighting: These frogs are nocturnal so is uv necessary? I've read yes and no! Humidity: I've read as low as 30% and as high as 80%! Should I just shoot for a happy medium? Water bowls: Some places say large bowls with 4 inches of water so the frog can sprawl out and bathe, while others say a dish that only covers their legs? A pet store nearby me is going out of business in a couple days and they were basically giving it away so I bought it for a couple dollars and brought home to save it from someone that might not give proper care. I think its an adult as its about 4 inches give or take. It's in a 10 gallon for now untill i'm sure it's doing ok then it will be moved to a 30. Also does anyone know why they go from green to brown? Is it stress or something else or maybe just something they do? And lastly what has evryone found to be the best vitamin supplement and do I really need the supplement if I gut load the crix!?

Thanks for any and all help,

aaron p.s. if anyone knows of an acurate caresheet or site that would be great too:)

[Phil Beaudoin]

Whites are stellar when it comes to the varied conditions that they can exist and thrive in. A humidity level from 50-70% works great for these guys. UVB lighting is not necessary for them, a simple incandescent bulb will work fine, however, its obvious that UVA bulbs bring out the frogs colours as well as their surroundings, UVB bulbs can do the same thing, but they are more expensive. Frogs will change colour in order to camouflage themselves, in response to temperature changes which causes the the pigments in their skin to expand or shrink---this will span a spectrum from light green to dark brown in whites. Stress can also account for colour change, darker is the general shading of choice with stress, but their are always exceptions. Their temp should be around 75-80 during the day, with a drop to room temperature at night, within reason. Herptative vitamins seem to be pretty good, the kind without vitamin D3 would be more economically effective. Dust the crickets every 2-3 meals or so. Baby, fuzzy, and hopper mice (depending on size) will also work good. Your setup should consist of plenty of arboreal equipment, as well, a sphagnum moss covered bottom will be beneficial as they do forage on the ground as much as in the arbory. A concave piece of wood, cork bark, or rock near the top of the tank against the glass is a good idea. They will generally hide behind this and feel quite comfortable. A water bowl that takes up a bit more than a quarter of the tank will suffise. Misting might also be beneficial if it decides its too good for the water bowl.


I can field anymore questions you may have,

------------------Thanks,
------------------------------Phil Beaudoin

[aaron]

Thanks Phil!

A lot of info out there you just have to be careful sometimes as I've seen caresheets on snakes that were inaccurate so I was just concerned on which info was correct. He/she is starting to turn more green already. I took this pic but it was alittle to close to the camera but it looks healthy to me. What do you think?

http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/500/540whites_3.jpg

Thanks for looking,

aaron

[Phil Beaudoin]

He appears to have some fat on him, which is good of course. Although there is some brown in him this of course does not suggest that he's stressed, some frogs are just like that. IN a few days, after settling in and such, one could assume he'l sport his average colours for any given time. Ya might want to hold off on the handling for a few days, unless he's nocking back crickets no problem and not flipping out hardcore when ya pick him up. But it sounds like he'l do pretty sweet. Post more pics as he settles in, just to see if we'l notice a change in colour as he settles.

As for the inaccurate care sheets, people try to make incredibly exact care sheets for some incredibly varied (climatically) species that are correct but not exactly. ex: Oustellott's Chameleons can be found in sparse, dense, and mountaineous forests, as well as low lands. They also may be representing a random time throughout a year in the species' home range. Well that's what I think at least. Books will usually present more accurate info.

---------Thanks,
-------------------------Phil Beaudoin