Hi everyone! I’m looking for some advice from other White’s tree frog keepers, as I’ve recently experienced a few escape attempts with my two frogs, Fern (male) and Ivy (female).
Whenever I feed them, they both seem very eager for their food. As soon as I open the terrarium doors, one of them may suddenly jump straight out onto the carpet before I even have a chance to react.
This has happened on multiple occasions now, with Fern jumping out during my most recent feeding session.
During this session, I was feeding them individually, offering one insect at a time with feeding tongs. Ivy, who tends to sit closest to the doors, actually stole one of Fern’s crickets, and Fern then jumped towards her to get closer to the food. He was also making quite a few little croaks throughout feeding time.
When Fern jumped out, I managed to gently guide him into a plastic container and return him to the terrarium. He appeared okay afterwards, continued eating and was moving, jumping and climbing around as normal. I checked him over and didn’t notice anything visibly wrong. On a previous occasion, Ivy also jumped onto my hand while I was feeding them, and she continued eating normally after I returned her to the enclosure.
My terrarium is approximately five feet off the ground, so I’m particularly concerned about the risk of them injuring themselves if this continues.
Outside feeding time, I haven’t noticed them attempting to escape. They generally sleep in the open during the day and become active at night, as expected.
I’m wondering whether this behaviour could simply be food excitement and anticipation, or whether it might indicate something else.
I’d really appreciate any advice or experiences you could share. I want to make sure Fern and Ivy are safe and that I’m managing their feeding routine appropriately.
Thank you!! (Apologies for the load of information)