Topics Forums Frogs – Pixies, Pacmans, & More! Pixie frog won’t come out of hiding

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    • #2843

      Jessey
      Participant

      Hello,
      I am new to the pixie frog world. I have a ball python and a leopard gecko but the pixie is way different. He went into hiding a week ago and I keep looking for him and can’t find him. His humidity stays at 85% and I mist it daily with dechlorinated water. I am bioactive so I have really good substrates, sprag moss, pillow moss, and pet friendly plants that I learned about in my bioactive group and a ton of research. He has a big tub of water with river rocks and a big lava rock that he can use to get in and out of the water. The temp on the cool side stays about 75 and the temp on the warm side is around 82. I am not sure if he is eating but as it is bioactive I have Dubia roaches, isopods, springtails, earth worms, and millipedes running around in there so I’m not worried about him starving. I even caught some of the Dubia and dusted them with calcium just in case. But it’s been over a week since I’ve even seen a sign of him. I even have some shelf lining that covers part of the screen top that I heavily mist so it drips throughout the day like rain. Why won’t he come out of hiding?

    • #2846

      Zoodulcis
      Moderator

      Hi Jessey,

      There may be a number of reasons why he is in hiding, some quite simple and some a little less so. It may be that he has come out at a time when you have not noticed him and then gone back into hiding, but for now let’s assume that this is not the case.

      #1 Since he has access to prey items all of the time, it is possible that he gorged himself and is now just taking time out for a respite from eating. Although not terribly common, other keepers have reported that theirs have done this.

      #2 He may be constipated. This can happen and the more constipated they are, the less likely to move they become. I know humans can sure relate to that! There is no way to know unless you unearth him and gently bath him in a warm (85-90 degrees F) bath for about 20 minutes. This will hydrate him and may encourage bowel movement. When unearthing him and picking him up, be sure to slide your hand under him gently from behind. This will startle him less and save you from a bite. When the water has cooled to 80 degrees, replace it with second bath warmed to the temperature recommended above. Another 20 minutes. After this, you should notice that he has pooped, or seems more lively just in general. Examine him as thoroughly as you possibly can, and try to notice whether anything seems wrong, like discoloration or continuing lethargy. If there is nothing extremely obvious, put him back in his enclosure and observe him for 24 hours. If he hides again without emerging, it may be time to consider a visit to a knowledgable veterinarian. Remember, this is advice given to you here in this forum post from a zoologist, and not a veterinarian. If you are nervous at all that something is really amiss, it’s best to take him in now and not wait. But as long as he is buried you cannot make an informed decision, so unearthing him is definitely your best move at this time. It will do no harm and may do much good, because he may need your help.

      • #2848

        Jessey
        Participant

        Awesome! Thank you. It took me over 30minutes to find him. He was literally at the very bottom in the last corner I checked. He had to have been constipated. He pooped before I even needed to replace the warm water again. A big one! And I cleaned and changed his water and he hopped right back in and was swimming around and now he is out and about hiding behind his favorite plant. Thank you! He is a baby so I was worried. His colors look good and so do his eyes and legs and he’s hopping normal. Must’ve been backed up cuz he can’t stop himself from eating. I put more bark in to give my isopods more places to hide so he’s not just gorging on my clean up crew.

        • #2850

          Zoodulcis
          Moderator

          Gosh Jessey, I am so relieved! And I bet he is too 🙂

          Very, very glad this did indeed work for you. And please, do not hesitate to ask for assistance again and to tell all of your friends about Critter Depot (that makes the boss very happy and less constipated as well 🙂

        • #2851

          Jessey
          Participant

          I am too! I was starting to freak out when I wasn’t finding him! I’m like obsessive with my herps like a helicopter mom 😅 and I’m on some Facebook groups but not many people have pixies so finding real advice is tough! Thank you I will!

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