# Can I feed my frog only mealworms?



## MonBon (Mar 1, 2017)

I'm thinking of getting a dumpy or green tree frog and my parents aren't too keen on crickets or 'vermin' as they refer to it. I was wondering if I could just feed the frog horn worms, mealworms, waxworms and/or morio worms or related. Please don't get mad at me for asking a stupid question like this. Thanks.


----------



## el Snappo (Mar 4, 2017)

MonBon; Ye'll have to excuse my lack of understanding of, perhaps, the latest 'speak' with you, younger (?), people.

Figure ye mean Litoria. Not Hyla arborea, as a fall back choice?

Litoria, " Whites Tree Frog ", as we used to know them, could manage just about anything consummate with their size. 

Their phlegmatic nature and slow approach made one wonder how they caught enough of Anything to survive. But, yes; They could live on more 'bowl offered' stuff. In a terrarium situation. 

Obviously, the content of the prey would be _as_ important.

Look up / consider, " Gut Loading " and " Live Prey Presentation ". 


Oh, and; Ye parents know a thing or two. One or two crickets lose in ye house? Mum could soon turn Dad into The Incredible Hulk!

One of those damn things turns up, next door? Word gets out You're bringing in crickets ....? WW3 is a distinct and constant possibility :blush:


----------



## MonBon (Mar 1, 2017)

Than for the reply, but I managed to convince them with the crickets, I live in Ireland so escaping would be a death sentence for them, and yes I was referring to the White's tree frog. I called it dumpy incase someone didn't understand

Sent from my 5056X using Tapatalk


----------



## el Snappo (Mar 4, 2017)

You're in Ireland?!! I'm in Co. Leitrim! Ye couldn't make this up, could ye?! :2thumb:

Quite right too: I let my stove go out with the coming of Spring. Now, even the spiders are wearing bod warmers!

Enjoy ye frog. They're great!


----------



## MonBon (Mar 1, 2017)

Haha what a coincidence! How low would your temperatures go down at night? For some reason I learned to function in Fahrenheit with all the American websites but Celsius will do fine, thanks! 

Sent from my 5056X using Tapatalk


----------



## el Snappo (Mar 4, 2017)

Don't talk to me about Celsius! Devils talk!









I'm sat here, right now, in 53.6. A watch cap and a bod warmer! When I leap into bed, at night, I'm Screaming for Pesticle ~ my cuddling Dog ~ to hurry up and get in with me. Without her, I'd probably die of shock before I warmed up! 

My spiders still show life. But, yeah, puny crickets? No Chance, in here! Thing is though, they're crafty buggers! One of them makes it to the back of the fridge ....? 

Say, I was thinking earlier; Aren't those Crickets Of Colour quiet, and a lot slower too? They'd be ideal for your situation. As I remember, they tend to be big and juicy. They don't go pinging everywhere, as soon as ye open the tub. Not even sure they say much either.

And, let's face it; The evocative cheeping of a cricket can be ecstasy on the ear, for the first few days. Then? Sh!t gets suicidal!

Another good one, for the likes of a Whites, is the old margarine tub of maggots. Used to do that with my 'dry' toads.


----------



## MonBon (Mar 1, 2017)

Haha that's quite relatable, but I didn't make myself clear~which it typical of me~ I meant the temperature for the frog, if we're both functioning in Fahrenheit, I might as well say that my room is around 61 at the lowest so the tank might drop to 59 maybe (I don't have the frog yet)

Sent from my 5056X using Tapatalk


----------



## el Snappo (Mar 4, 2017)

Oh, christ!!! _Sorry!!! _







I'm So bloody _wrapped up_, here, with the cold temperatures I've brought upon myself. (" Oh well. Spring? Might as well let the 24 / 7 stove go out then and just man up. " :blush: _Not_ my best idea!)

Now; I must point out that I'm a Recovering Amphibian Addict, these days. I shouldn't really be here, in honesty. Because, I've cracked to the point of succumbing to the Need to just chat about the things ..... 

Ye know how it goes? " Just a little _chat_ won't hurt. I can handle it. Ooh, look! _Photo's! _







"

Do I take it ye pretty new to all this then? What have ye kept before? Only, I'm not one of those bombastic types who assumes they know it all, and the internet has awaited their coming, so they can bestow their vast knowledge on the world. That sort lives on FB, I've found :whistling2:

But, if ye should be a novice? I could certainly offer one or two tips I picked up along the way. I gave away all my journals / records of what I was doing, back then. And I'm certainly not going to go sneaking off to Google, to check for information to make me look good. I either knew it, and remember it. Or not 

And, the temp's I kept my Tree Frog Tank at? That would have been around the 75 / 78 mark. _But_, ye have to realise that was a hand made tank. About two foot, two six high. About eighteen or so wide and deep. 

It was lit / heated from a light bulb at the top. Thus, what with there being a small bush in there, the frogs could pick and choose their own comfort zones.

What set up have ye in mind? Maybe we can bounce ideas around a bit?


----------



## MonBon (Mar 1, 2017)

I am quite a novice but not from my fault, I would be a crazy reptile man if I had the chance but being a teenager, well it's quite self explanatory. I can't say for sure what I have in mind because I need to persuade my parents, which I'm pretty good at, mind you, but I was thinking a 45cm x 30 x 30 exo terra with a 60 watt bulb on top, I might change the frog idea to anoles, just to get some experience so that I can get a tegu in the near future, (God, so much more persuading, but by that time it'll be easier because I will probably have a part time job to feed the lizard). 


By the way I have never kept amphibians but I had a snake (Boa constrictor) for a few weeks, before he got sick, mostly not by my doing, and I gave him back to the breeder, who is a really nice guy, not one of those "I do this only for the money" types, and I just for a message from him saying that the snake won't make it through the night, I also have a leopard tortoise which my parents bought when I was five and we only started feeding it properly now, I also, had a few stick insects in the past and that's about it, but I constantly overwhelm myself with information about reptiles and amphibians 

Sent from my 5056X using Tapatalk


----------



## MonBon (Mar 1, 2017)

Also just a quick question, why do you operate in Fahrenheit, I haven't seen a lot of Irish people who do, the only reason I do is because I absorb numbers like a sponge, and I read from American websites and then I can't be bothered to convert them, but I actually have no idea what they mean, but then again you don't really need to as long as your animals survive 

Sent from my 5056X using Tapatalk


----------



## el Snappo (Mar 4, 2017)

Hmmm. Okay. Let's take this one step at a time then:

That size ~ and shape ~ of tank ....? Dunno. I guess it'd do for a solitary Whites. Personally? I'd sooner it was the 45 _tall. _For all the difference 15cm would make. But, that's just the way I always thought.

Anyway, el Snappo's first Top Tip! You're a teenager. You're male. Ye obviously not daft. So, how about ye put it all together and Really show ye parents a thing or two? 

" Exo Terra "? What's that? A trade name? Sod that! How much is this Exo Terra thing gonna cost ye?

Do what I did: Figure out what sized tank ye want. spend ye money on a reel of masking tape. A tube of silicone. And borrow a 'mastic gun'. Then, pop down to the nearest Glass Cutter and hand him a slip of paper with ye requirements!

He'll cut the glass. You bring it home and fit some of it together, held in place by strips of masking tape, round the corners. Run ye beads of silicone up the inside joins and leave to set, over night. 

Few days time? Boosh! There's ye tank! Fraction of the cost of some commercial thing. Every bit as good. And there's ye parents thinking; " Blow me! Look at that! He's Serious about this stuff! "

Want a great little 'door', in the lower side? (Of course ye do!) Ask ye man to cut a hole in the side sheet. Four or five inches round. Then, get a bit of tongue and groove timber. Cut the groove side off. Silicone that, in a ' U ' shape, over the hole. Square bit of glass drops in that as ye door. How good am I?!









Top / lid, of course, is a sheet of ply wood with a couple of slots cut out and mesh siliconed over them from the inside. Fit ye light bulb and away ye go.

Now, el Snappo's Top Tip #2: Get ye body down to the builders merchants and ask for a sheet of 'Jabolite'. Inch or so thick sheet of polystyrene. About the size of a grave stone. 

Cut that to fit the outer back, bottom and sides of ye new tank. " Copydex " glue will stick it to itself. Now, ye tank's on a safe surface and is insulated too. If ye want to paint the inside surfaces? Nice green would be easy on the eye. 

Talking of eyes? Make that light bulb blue or green. 


Now; Whites or anoles, in the lead up to a Tegu??? Steady on, tiger! What are ye then going to do with the frog, or anole's? And how do ye figure to keep a tegu? Would ye believe el Snappo _had_ a tegu?!? Have to take my word for it. We called him " Mincemeat ". Because that's what he ate







Lovely old thing he was. Dear Mincemeat.

Bloody site bigger than anole's though. Everything about them, really, gets several magnitudes above anoles, or a single tree frog.

Ah! Tell ye what? How about this: Rather than me dissecting the rest of ye post ~ which anyone can see for themselves, as is. How about I make a 'mad' suggestion? Funnily enough, I've already enthused, to someone else, on here tonight:

*Tiger Salamander!* Overwhelm yeself with information about Those buggers! Bloody great, they are! Way more active and interesting than a Dumpy. Would be happy enough in a similar sized tank. Mad as all hell, by default.

Need very little by way of ..... well, Anything, really! Probably More interesting than a tegu. Tegu's like to crawl about a bit. Eat and lay. 

Tiger's Wait. They're for ever waiting for the moment they can murderously attack something and steal its soul. And they employ all manner of tactics to try and achieve this. 

You, as a younger man, can connect with this world view. Look into those ~ somewhat popped and crazy ~ eyes and find a connection.

" The world won't let us have a Tegu?!? ..... _One day, Brother! _"


It'd also be a lot easier for you to cart around, should ye do stuff like go to university. Leave home. Or end up having to leave ye parents to look after it for a bit.


----------



## MonBon (Mar 1, 2017)

Thanks for your tips, it's great to talk to an experienced professional. 


About the glass, 
I did mean the 45 tall, and I would happily build the tank but we have no glassmakers in our area(70 km radius) and no construction shops, also the tank isn't too expensive (90 euro) and I imagine it would be around the same price as a custom made. 

With the tegu : I want to get a tegu, you don't know me so I will tell you, I am the most stubborn and hard headed guy I know and I will get a tegu. As for housing and food, I don't have a lot of stuff so I have space in my room, and I'll have enough money to feed him. Don't worry the other animals won't be neglected, if you got a goldfish and then a cat, would you stop feeding the fish?


Oh yes and you asked how a frog or an anole lead up to a tegu? Keeping the anoles for a few years before a tegu will give me at least a bit of experience with lizards. I'll have a look into the salamanders anyway. Thanks for your patience with my idiotic questions and arguments 

Sent from my 5056X using Tapatalk


----------



## el Snappo (Mar 4, 2017)

MonBon; I was thinking, today: " How can _anyone_ live fifty k's from a glass cutter?! " Then I remembered. You're in Ireland!







They'll never be able to grasp this concept, over there!

Shame though. I have a place readily available. Used to too, when I was at my peak. God, I was Always in there! It's great, to visualise what ever ye fancy. Then just make it.

Ready made, water guaranteed, tanks were cheap as chips then too. A Ton, for a tank that size?! What has the world come to? And, young men like yeself saying, " Pfft. It's just a ton. No problemmo. " Jeez.

Anyway, nothing wrong with a bit of bloody mindedness, my friend! :mrgreen: You Want that tegu? I'm sure ye Will end up with the bugger!

Ye want bloody mindedness? I paid for a five and half hour taxi trip, to get my snapper. Snapper cost me £80.00. Taxi cost me £200.00!!! People _literally_ screamed in my face that I was insane! MonBon, my man; Do we care?! :2thumb:

Salamanders Vs Anoles? Not trying to push ye there, man. Just that I first encountered anoles nearly sixty years ago. Boring little things. Don't imagine they've changed much since.

_Tiger_ salamander, I suggest simply on the basis that a 'good' one can be so much more entertaining. They can have a bit of attitude. Amusing.

Anyway, what a rare treat, just to exchange with someone whose eyes didn't glaze over at the mention of keeping our sort of creatures. I was hoping for a bit more chat, in here. But, I was reading down the forum and saw the consensus is that people now go to that FB?

Good god. What a Hole _That_ is! Random people popping up: " You're an idiot! I'm an expert! I'm right. You're Wrong!!! " And, _Poof!_ They're gone!!! And ye left like; :gasp: Da fug waz at?!? Come back here! I'll skin you alive! But, no. They're gone.

As Bob Hoskins ~ probably before your time! :blush: ~ once said ..........


----------



## MonBon (Mar 1, 2017)

Hi el Snappo 
I was thinking about the salamanders and as much I would like one I will probably set it aside. I want an anole because as long as I have remembered, I wanted a lizard and now is my opportunity. I'm not saying that I don't like salamanders, because trust me, I do but I feel like the anoles would be a) more suitable in buildup to a tegu and b) better as a pet in terms of handleability, because when I have a pet, I want to touch it, also they are like a mix of a chameleon and an iguana which I find amazing. 

I'm not fully ruling out the idea of the salamander, because at one point when I'm going to be about 75% in my descent into reptile induced madness, I'm going to be looking for my 43rd pet and I'm going to remember, "what did that lad... El Snappo tell me, some sort of salamander?" and I'm going to go ahead and buy 6.

Anyway as for the tegu, what temperature did you have at home and how many heat sources did you have? Also how big was the cage? Thank you for your patience, you are the only person who I can relieve my reptile needs to as I don't know anyone who doesn't think of them as "weird" or "disgusting". 

Sent from my 5056X using Tapatalk


----------



## el Snappo (Mar 4, 2017)

" Weird " _and _" Disgusting " are probably terms that have followed me throughout my life.

Who gives a monkeys? Live your own life, young man. Ye'll never be happy otherwise









Tegu temperatures? Again, ye'd be better just googling the hell out of that sh!t. Me? I'm talking about decades ago. I was married then. Reminds me how long ago That was!

Looking back? Yeah. I guess the wife and I _were_ going through the 'Kiddie in a Sweet Shop' phase.

We were both earning. Lived in a small flat that the landlady never inspected. Never even had a contract! What the hell then! Barn owl in the bedroom. Ferrets in the living room. Then, that pet shop with the snapper opened up? It was an Aladdins Cave. And we plundered it!

Where was I ....? Oh, yeah. Tegu's. Mincemeat was a red, or a black. Looked black, to me. But, I think they're rocking horse. So, he would have been the commoner red. I think?

I guess he was around the 20, 24" mark? Kept him in a 4' case. Light bulb at one end. Gave him about 78F. He could go where he liked, to cool off. Hid under his newspaper, when he wanted a bit of privacy.

Damnit. Look, MonBon; What I'm _Not_ saying here. What I just don't have the stomach to say. That's what really matters.

No matter. We were young. You're still younger yet. We all have to learn by our experiences. You will. Believe me.

I'd like to say something Really profound now. But, I can't think of anything. I'm just not that clever.

Haven't got any ping pong balls either. Else I'd stick a couple in my eyes. Grab a 'Selfie' and title it " _Gwaaaass Huppaaaa!!! "







_Reckon that, too_,_ would go right by ye though. Never mind. You're the future of the game. If I can leave one thing in ye head, for life? It'd be very much along the lines of:


*Breed It!


*​


----------

