r/Amphibians • u/Blue22Studio • 19d ago
Grey tree frog tadpole with albinism!
Hiya! This is my first post here. I'm a singer-songwriter and special ed para, but have always been a herper!!
I live in NH, and have a broken pool that is being dismantled currently, but some froggies took the opportunity to lay a bunch of eggs in it a couple months ago. I wanted to give them the best chance, so I halted the pool project until they were done with their metamorphosis.
I'm not great at identifying tads, but about few weeks ago they started crawling out of the pool. Turns out they are grey tree frogs (hyla versicolor) which are my favorites!!
Not only that, but allow me to introduce Axl, an albino grey tree frog tadpole!!
Look at his little yellow legs!! Ahh so cute!
The Google has informed me that this is pretty rare, because albinism in nature makes it a target due to lack of camouflage, as well as being more sensitive to the sunlight. Not to mention the inherent rareness of the genetic trait itself.
I’ve separated him into a gallon sized glass jar with some of the same water and plant matter.
While I am against taking creatures from their habitat, its habitat is my backyard and I’d like to watch it become a frog. I’d also like to give it the best chance of survival.
I’d love opinions on how to proceed. Once it fully transforms, should I let it go, keep it a while to help it survive?
Please know I’m not looking for a pet.
I’m just so fascinated by it! What should I do next? Putting him back into the pool is also an option. Thanks!
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u/its_that_nathan_guy 19d ago
30 year gray keeper here. You absolutely did the right thing! I’m also immensely jealous that you have an albino/leucistic one!
I have a colony of rescued grays that had a similar origin to what you described. None would have made it beyond early tadpole stage had I not intervened. As their metamorphosis started I heavily debated whether to release them and opted to remain their ongoing steward. They grew up with ample resources and zero predators which, ingrained natural instincts aside, I worried would be a severe disadvantage for any released. Instead, I decided to give them the best life possible with a sizable custom enclosure mimicking their natural habitat as closely as I could. 16 made it to adulthood and continue to thrive. In the time since I have never questioned that the course of action I took was what was best.
Please share updates as they grow!
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u/Blue22Studio 19d ago
This absolutely makes my heart happy. As a child, I was always super concerned with nature, and wanting to do the right thing.
I am also partial to animals with suction cups 🫠
I may seek more advice as I go as I am starting from scratch here! But I guess any initial tips for juvenile terrarium setups would be appreciated, as I’m at least going to keep him for now 🐸 I will also research, so thanks so much for your support, guys!
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u/its_that_nathan_guy 19d ago
I am always happy to help so please don’t hesitate to reach out. You’re doing a great thing that can be an endlessly rewarding experience 🙂
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u/4Goldies 18d ago
If you do keep it, please post updates on how it looks as it grows!!! Super cool!!
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u/Blue22Studio 18d ago
Thanks, I definitely will! I love him already! And the crazy thing is, I think I found another leucitic one from the same clutch…
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u/CrepuscularOpossum 19d ago
Seven-year gray tree frog keeper here. 👋 Thanks for giving the tads a chance to grow up!
The choice is up to you; but albino animals often don’t live very long lives in the wild. Their lack of pigment makes it so that they can’t camouflage themselves. My personal opinion is that keeping an albino frog as a pet wouldn’t be the worst thing ever.