Tree Frogs
Cricket Frogs | Green & Brown Tree Frogs | Poison Dart Frogs
Red Eye Tree Frogs | Whites (Dumpy) Tree Frog
Tree frogs are fun little pets to watch climbing the glass of their tanks and hoping about catching prey and such. They are definitely more of a "look at" pet than a play with one, but still make interesting pets. The following list shows some of the more common types of tree frogs that are available to people.
Cricket Frogs
Length: 1"
Temperature: mid-70°s
Food: small crickets
Minimum Cage: 10 gallon
Life Span: unknown
Cricket Frogs are a wild species of frog native to the US. They are basically tree frogs without the suction cup feet. They are called cricket frogs because their chirp sounds similar to a crickets. They max out at 1". In their environment, they like muddy puddles, but I've found they like the gravel/moss setup described above with rocks and plants that match their coloring. They can be kept in as little as a 10 gallon for a couple but they like to jump a lot, so, again, the bigger the better. [Top]
Green and Brown Tree Frogs
Length: 2"
Temperature: 76°-80°F
Food: Crickets
Minimum Cage: 10 Gallon
Life Span: 2 - 5 years
Native to the US, this tree frog is one of the more common and popular frogs in the pet trade. (Caging) The tree frog needs to be kept in at least a 10 gallon with 5 more gallons per each additional frog. But the bigger, and the taller, is better. They need a screen lid that is secure for on top of the cage and branches and plants to climb on inside the cage. For substrate, paper towels, reptile carpet, soil (fertilizer & pesticie free), composted leaves, or ground coconut husk. A water bowl that is big enough for the frog to lay in but shallow enough to cover only the legs of the frog because they can easily drown. Water should be changed daily to prevent bacteria buildup. (Heating and Lighting) The temperature in the basking spot should between 78° & 80°F, and 76°-80° throughout the rest of the cage and humidity 30%-50%. Humidity can be made higher by either misting the tank, keeping the substrate damp, or covering part of the lid. Night time temperatures can drop to 70°-75°. For heat, either a heat lamp or heat pad can be used. (Feeding) Green and brown tree frogs should be fed crickets as a staple diet, dusted with calcium powder once/week right before feeding. Juveniles can be fed as much as they can eat of the small crickets, while adults should be fed 2-3 large crickets every other day. Mealworms, waxworms, moths, flies, etc can be fed every once in a while for a varied diet. (Cleaning) The tank should be wiped down every week and dead insects and feces removed. [Top]
References:
Green Tree Frogs, www.froggie.info
Poison Dart Frogs
Length: 1"
Temperature: mid-70°s
Food: crickets
Minimum Cage: 15 gallon
Life Span: unknown
Poison Dart Frogs are one of my favorite types of frogs now that I've owned two. Go to Saurian.net for a care sheet made by a breeder. I got my frogs from him and the care sheet's very thorough. [Top]
Red Eye Tree Frogs
Length: 3"
Temperature: 72°-78°F
Food: Crickets
Minimum Cage: 20 gallon high
Life Span: unknown
Red-Eyed Tree Frogs are a rainforest species that have blood red eyes. They are a pretty tree frog that grows to be around 3" and they should not be housed in anything smaller than a 20 gallon high as adults. They require high humidity and temperature ranging from 72°F to 78°F. [Top]
Whites Tree Frog (Dumpy Tree Frog)
Length: 4"-5" Temperature: mid-70°s
Food: Crickets
Minimum Cage: 15 gallon
Life Span: unknown
Whites Tree Frog is not a species I've had much experience with, but they can get round 4" - 5". They are not as active as red-eyes, but do need at least a 15 gallon with the same temperature and humidity as red-eyes. [Top]