# vittatus death



## Dendrobait (May 29, 2005)

Ok, this one caught me by surprise, but after reviewing how things have progressed I feel like an idiot for not realizing earlier something was up.

I received the frog in April. Due to a sender mistake the other two vittatus in the shipment were DOA. This one looked like it too(it was the first container I pulled out). I went back to it later and it had revived. It grew and whatnot up until late July and things began to happen.

The frog had never been a vigorous hunter and maybe only contacted on 50% or so of the attempts it made. I went out of town for a week and left them with my Dad. He couldn't quite figure out how to get the flies out of the container without the dust, so the frog was fed twice during that week. Over the next few weeks the frog got slightly thinner and ate less and less. It was hard to tell, however, as I would seldom see it in its little sweaterbox home. The day of its death it was on top of one of the Begonia leaves I had placed in there for shelter...and was moving its mouth in a gaping motion. I assumed perhaps it was shedding, and also worried that it did not seem to be gaining any weight. It was dead when I got home.

Any ideas? Temperature stands out as one. The house temps were at about 80 through the summer months, though the frogs condition began to decline as things started to cool down(but, that doesn't rule that out). It sounds a lot like those parasite stories but unless something I used in the sweater box was contaminated(hard to believe, everything has come from reputable vendors). 

If it could be related to temperature, I think I will have to leave darts for the time being. I planned on setting up a tank of vittatus for my parents before I left but perhaps keeping darts in this climate is not quite practical.

I have, however, raised baby newts terrestrially here. They are also not fond of warm temperatures...if anything, coming from China/Japan they'd be even less tolerant. Most of them did fine and thrived through the summer, though they had big appetites and bodies much tinier than the dart frog at first.


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## Dendrobait (May 29, 2005)

Anyone?


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

could have been due to many factors including stress from the original shipping (for example immunosuppression can take a long time to revert to "normal") 

Ed


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## Rain_Frog (Apr 27, 2004)

deleted


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## melissa68 (Feb 16, 2004)

Ed said:


> could have been due to many factors including stress from the original shipping (for example immunosuppression can take a long time to revert to "normal")
> 
> Ed


Although I have never put two and two together to come up with Ed's idea of immunosuppression, I do agree with his response. 

Many times, frogs that have been put in stressful (especially extreme, life threatening) positions have difficulty recovering. 

I wouldn't blame yourself, but chalk this one down to experience & learning about the frogs. 

I doubt this is the answer you were looking for, but don't blame yourself. 

Melissa


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## Dendrobait (May 29, 2005)

Thanks guys. Honestly not the answer I was hoping for but I guess I did get some experience with basic dartfrog care in those few months. Still unsure of trying again but I do have a guarantee for 2 other frogs still pending.


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## melissa68 (Feb 16, 2004)

Unfortunately, any time you deal with sick frogs it is a learning experience. 

No matter how much you read, or advice you are given there is no replacement for experience. 

I am sure this isn't what you wanted to hear, but your will be better prepared to care for your collection because of your experiences with these frogs.

Melissa


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