G&G Bell Frog growth question

[Colour_genes]

I have 4 Green & Golden Bell Frogs. One I morphed myself, now approx 18 mths old and approx 8 cm S-V length, was kept warm and active & fed well over it's first winter. The other 3, I purchased about Nov this year, and they are also approx 18 mths old - I assumed when I bought them (seen only in photos before they were sent to me) they would be much the same size. However they turned out to be only 4 -5 cm S-V length, and while they have grown a little since I got them they have nowhere caught up to my frog. They were 'brumated' (is that the correct term for frogs?) over their first winter apparently.

My question is - do these frogs keep growing until they reach something like the average adult size, or can they become permanently stunted by incorrect feeding or care in their first year of life? Is there a chance the smaller ones will actually remain that small?

I ideally want to get at least one breeding pair from the four I have, but at the moment the 3 smaller ones I doubt would be safe in with the larger one. It is getting tiresome maintaining 3 terrariums (1 large glass one, 2 of the smaller plastic ones) when I really just want 2 frogs in the one enclosure for the near future.

Any suggestions? Thanks

[alanmin4304]

I have seen a frog eat another frog the same size and all I could see was the feet sticking out. I pulled the victim out and it survived but you would be asking for disaster to put small ones with larger ones. These were green and golds as well.

 

 

[Colour_genes]

Yes, I have been keeping them separate, but will the smaller ones ever catch up in size to the larger one, so I don't have to? 

[livingart]

Yes if they are well fed they will catch up fairly quickly

[alanmin4304]

Agree

[JJWooble]

Basically, as alanmin and LA have said, keep up their food intake and they will get there  

If the other 3 are a similar size I'd just keep them together in the same tank and then the larger on his own. If they're large enough to take them I'd suggest offering them all at least a cricket each daily (offering may not actually mean they'll always take it) or larger amount of smaller insect each. Mealworms are also useful as food, though I can never get my two to eat them live. 

If you're finding it difficult to feed them live constantly, (I do because I mostly catch live food for mine myself) then just be aware there can be an alternative. I originally found the idea at: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1699704340256454.1073741832.1652251271668428&type=3 
Basically you get a thread, needle, dried cricket (soak until it feels 'moist' first, they apparently need the moisture in their food and it makes it easier to swallow). Hook the needle onto the thread, then pass the thread through the cricket and remove the needle. Bring the cricket down to the end of the string, make sure it's easy enough to slide off the string first, then dangle in front of the nearest frog. Frog should in theory react to the movement by shoving it in their mouth. Helps over winter when there's less insects around too. 

In reality they're jumpy little slimy things who get freaked out sometimes and just won't eat, so it may take a while for you and the animal to get used to dinners like this, so have live food available for at least the first few weeks.
Some things I've found that help:
- are to put the thread on a stick-- so you've basically got a fishing rod--, plus to not do anything that would startle them at least 5 mins prior to feeding. If I'm feeding my frogs at night I'll often leave the light on so I don't have to flick that on later and startle them.
- Also, they're a bit more expensive, but it saves soaking them-- you can buy tinned crickets. They're often catered towards Bearded Dragons but I've found my boys don't know the difference
- You can also use other insects e.g. wax moth larvae/dried meal worms/those fancy tinned river shrimps/dead insects you accidentally squished whilst trying to catch them for your slimy pets.
- sometimes they like being fed in their favourite hidey hole, because they feel more secure. Other times they are just not interested so it's sometimes a 'well I'll come back tomorrow' approach
- really make sure you can slide it off the thread, as occasionally I've had one time where it got stuck and I've had to cut the thread...kind of nerve wracking and definitely not something I'd suggest. You often cannot get the cricket back out of the frogs mouth, haha. 

All the above said, I still like to offer mine live food just because it spices up their existence and gives them a bit of variety. Flies/slaters/earth worms/cockroaches/moths/cicadas/crickets all get popped into the cage whenever I spot them, and I'll buy the occasional lot of live food too. 

All the best for growing out your frogs  

[alanmin4304]

Don't forget that winter is coming and they may wish to brumate. If they do they need to brumate properly and will not eat if the temperature is low enough.

Edited May 9, 2016 by alanmin4304