Northeast Bugs & Beasts

And we're back!
Had a great Halloween and hope everyone who celebrates had a great time as well.

Now, #oliverthetoad would like to know; what'd we miss?

#amphibiansofinstagram #frogs #amphibians #toad #africangreentoad #greentoad #bufotesboulengeri

Indeed it isn't, but that's simply because I've decided to take a short breather from posting in order to take in this spookiest of times! Your regularly scheduled creature content will return next monday.

credit to canva for hat & bat images.

Northeast Bugs & Beasts hopes you all have a Hoppy Halloween full of crunchy candy & creepy crawlies!

"But wait my good sir man Northeast Bugs & Beasts" you say, "Its not Halloween yet!"

What can happen is a tiny larva can burrow inside a larger chunk of wood, and its difficult to monitor the animal's growth and health should it do so.

#beetle #insectsofinstagram #stagbeetle #insects #beetlekeeping #beetlekeeper #invertebrates #petinsect #petinsects #rainbowstagbeetle

The Rainbow Stag larvae have reached a size where I felt it was appropriate to give them the good stuff- white rot wood. Colonized by benign fungi and squishy in consistency. Its good for beetle larvae, but I don't give this stuff to hatchlings.

The Skewbalds are already hard at work on the numbers department! How many babies can you spot?

#invertebrates #invertebrate #insecthobby #isopod #isopods #crustacean #woodlouse #sowbug #isopodhobby #skewbaldtri #calico #piebald

#froggy #vivarium #amphibiansofinstagram #frogs #leaffrog #solomonislandleaffrog #frogbreeding #breeder #cornuferguentheri #meetmypet #meetmyfrog

Tubba, I dedicate this post to you for helping make Northeast Bugs & Beasts what it is. Your children were responsible for getting things started, and you yourself served as the model for the logo! If only you could comprehend what any of this means.

it was time for Tubba to have a new breeding partner. Kooka, a brown (wild type) male was moved in with her, and for the time being he actually seems intimidated by her. So for the moment she has had a well-earned break from male attention.

I say 'was' because Nerves & Slick have since been moved to a separate enclosure. Not because of any aggression, but rather because...

Of my leaf frogs, Tubba is the most relaxed of the whole lot. She spends much of her time under leaf litter rather than on top of it. Only jumping to catch a cricket or when disturbed by one of the boys. Which was not uncommon, because there were two of them and one of her.

Well, as it happened I got two males- Nerves & Slick. And I also got one female- Tubba. By November of that same year nature had taken its course, and I had a litter of adorable froglets to contend with. Then the matter of getting them to new homes came up. One thing led to another, and here we are!

Meet Tubba!

Tubba is an animal who I owe a lot to- without her, Northeast Bugs & Beasts would most likely not exist! I first acquired my initial trio of Solomon Island Leaf Frogs back in July of 2024. Back then I wanted the frogs simply for the sake of enjoying them.

Listen carefully, and you'll hear this Isabella Tiger Moth (Pyrrharctia isabella) buzz. She was NOT thrilled to be on my hand. These moths are the adult form of 'Wooly bear' caterpillars often seen trundling along the ground this time of year.

#isabellatigermoth #woolybear #moth #bugsky

After all, Mini Mum have babies too. Its hard to really fathom how small those must be.

#didyouknow #biology #comic #webcomic #infographic #info #amphibiansofinstagram #frogs #leaffrog #solomonislandleaffrog #froglet #froglets #babyfrogs #babyfrog #minimumfrog #minimum #microhylid #Microhylidae

Sometimes its hard to believe that vertebrate animals can exist at this size. Think; packed into 6 millimeters are bones, lungs, a heart, stomach, and blood vessels. Yet there are vertebrates smaller than even a hatchling Leaf Frog.

The difference is that this measurement is for adult, fully grown frog. Mini mum is a frog so small that adults are only slightly bigger than newborns of the Solomon Island Leaf Frog. Both of these animals are dwarfed by a Dime, which clocks in at 18 millimeters.

Then I compared the data to the length of one of the most iconic of tiny frog species. Mini mum, a microyhylid known only from Manombo Special Reserve in madagascar. Mini Mum reaches a respectfully larger length of 8.2–11.3 millimeters.

Looking at one of these little ones prompted me to think "I don't think frogs can physically get much smaller than that." So I took measurements of a hatchling currently in my care- 6 millimeters.

Today we have a #whatacreature comic!

Solomon Island Leaf Frogs produce pea-sized eggs that hatch into incredibly, absurdly tiny froglets. These itty bitty newborns could rest comfortably atop a pinkie nail- though the species is so flighty at any age that they would never actually do so.

Special announcement: Northeast Bugs & Beasts appears as a guest speaker on the third episode of the FrogRack Podcast!

Watch it on
Youtube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4bA...
Apple Podcast: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e...

#frograckpodcast #frogbreeder #solomonislandleaffrog #cornuferguentheri

Started a new project recently! This 8-gallon BiOrb will eventually house a colony of hawaiian morph Mourning Geckos (Lepidodactylus lugubris).

#vivarium #bioactivevivarium #vivariumbuild #enclosurebuild #mourninggecko #gecko #geckos #Lepidodactylus

Much like the Rainbow Stag care guide before it. This document is a quick guide for prospective new owners of these wonderful frogs, & is free to redistribute & reprint.

Check out my care guide for Solomon Island Leaf Frogs: drive.google.com/file/d/1D8N-...

#careguide #caresheet #frog

I have a question for you! My followers!

What's an animal you admire and COULD keep, but probably won't?

For me the answer to that question is snakes. Their sleek appearance is beautiful, and the But, simply put, frogs, insects, & geckos are more my speed.

#question #whatdoyouthink #reptilehobby

Boy's gotta eat! Boy's gotta have his supper!

Here Nerves, an adult male Solomon Island Leaf Frog, makes quick work of a banded cricket. The footage here is heavily slowed down. What you saw here happened in the blink of an eye in real time!

#frog #solomonislandleaffrog #frogfeed #cricket

And here we have a well developed clutch of #solomonislandleaffrog eggs! Can you spot the growing froglets inside?

#amphibiansofinstagram #leaffrog #frogs #amphibians #petfrog #petfrogsofinstagram #froggy #exoticpet #eggs #frogeggs #frogspawn #frogbreeding

When it comes to housing, Rainbow Stag Beetles are easily pleased. Enough dirt to burrow, and some space to move around is all they ask for! In fact I'd discourage doing any fancy setups- they make a habit of rearranging their enclosure however they want.

#rainbowstagbeetle #beetle #stagbeetle

The Sinodendron genus is widespread and can be found throughout Europe, Asia, and western North America. Now that you know what they look like. You might just recognize these little misfits if you happen upon them in the wild!

#rhinocerousbeetle #insect #invertebrate

The most obvious difference is in the antenna shape. Rugose Stag Beetles have antennae with 'feathered' tips. Unlike true rhino beetles which sport short, blunt antennae.

Of course, convergent evolution is not a phenomenon limited to invertebrates, but these beetles stand as a rather striking example. To the untrained eye they would be nearly impossible to discern from the rhino beetles they so resemble.