Pet Green Tree Frog Care Sheet

TREE FROGS (Litoria)

Tree frogs are docile and known to be comfortable around humans, making them a popular choice of pet in Australia. With a broad diet, long life expectancy and beautiful, exotic green look, tree frogs are one of the easier frog species to care for. Before handling your pet frog, be sure to rinse (and keep your hands wet first), or wear latex gloves. You should be careful to never handle your frog if you have any kind of soap or lotion on your hands, as frogs can absorb harmful chemicals through their skin.

Green tree frogs are protected under federal Australian law, with their conservation status in the wild currently as “least concern”. To check the licensing requirements in your state to keep a pet tree frog, please check our Wildlife Licence Forms.

What Tree Frogs Are Kept As Pets In Australia?

*Subspecies*	*Scientific Name*	*Natural Range*
Green Tree Frog	Litoria Caerulea	N/NE Australia
White Lipped Frog	Litoria infrafrenata	FNQ
Red Eyed Tree Frog	Agalychnis callidryas	Eastern seaboard
Dainty Tree Frog	Litoria gracilenta	Eastern seaboard
Southern Brown Tree Frog	Litoria ewingi	TAS S-NSW/VIC/SA

HABITAT (TERRARIUM)

What is the best tree frog habitat?

Your Tree Frog should be housed in a minimum 40L terrarium - the taller the better! He can be kept with frogs of the same species, but should not live with other amphibian or reptile species.

Your terrarium will need a cover, substrate, lighting and a thermometer to keep the terrarium at the right conditions for your frog. You should also add plenty of plants, driftwood and branches, to provide a natural environment and plenty of climbing places for your frog.

Lighting should be provided on a 10-12 hour ‘day’ cycle and be low level UVB, with plenty of hiding and dark places provided, to help your frog feel safe.

Frogs are excellent escape artists - make sure your terrarium has a secure lid, preferably mesh, to prevent any daring escapes.

Aerosol sprays (such as fly spray or perfumes) are very dangerous for your frog, and extra care should be taken to not use any air pollutants or smoke near your terrarium.

TEMPERATURE

What is the best temperature for a tree frog?

Your frog will need to have both a warm and a cool spot to spend his time, with a thermometer at each side of the terrarium to help you monitor his environment. The warm spot should range between 28-30˚C and the cool spot should be 22-24˚C.

You may need to use heat sources to keep this optimal temperature - including heat lamps, pads or globes. Temperatures should be checked daily to ensure your frog has both cool and warm spots to choose from, allowing him to regulate his temperature throughout the day.

You will also need to mist your terrarium daily to keep your frog in his required humid environment. Be sure to use safe, dechlorinated water for your terrarium, and keep a separate misting bottle for this task to avoid any contamination risks. If your terrarium has constant condensation on the glass, your humidity levels may be excessive. You can add a humidity gauge to your terrarium to remove any guesswork. During summer, humidity should be kept up to 50%, and down to 30% in winter.

Be sure to leave some dry areas for your frog while maintaining this humid environment.

LIGHTING AND DAY & NIGHT

What light does a tree frog need?

You will need to provide a 10-12 hour day cycle for your frog - low level UVB lighting is recommended. Remember to leave plenty of dark hiding places for your frog in case he needs a break.

Your frog is nocturnal and will be extra active at night. Be sure to turn his light off during the evening to allow his terrarium to mimic a natural environment.

Your frog’s terrarium should be kept out of direct sunlight at all times.

FOOD

What do tree frogs eat in captivity?

Frogs are typically insectivorous that prefer to eat their food live. Your frog will enjoy a diet that includes crickets, worms and even live fly pupae. Gut-loaded crickets and mealworms should also be considered as a nutritious addition to your frog’s diet. Many frog owners feed their frogs pinkie rats or mice as an extra form of protein.

As frogs are typically most active in the evening, they should be fed at night. Young frogs will need to be fed once a day, gradually decreasing to 2-3 insects every couple of days for adult frogs. During winter, your frog may need less food.

To increase the nutritional value for your frog, dust live insects with calcium supplements before feeding.

Fresh, clean, dechlorinated water should be available at all times for your frog, with at least one water or wading dish in the terrarium at all times.

COMPANIONS

What other pets can I keep with my tree frog?

Your frog can be safely kept with other frogs of the same species, but different species of amphibian or reptile should never be housed together.

To keep the peace in your terrarium, try and keep frogs of a similar size, as frogs will eat smaller frogs!

TANK DECORATIONS & ACCESSORIES

What do I need for my tree frog’s habitat?

A substrate can be used in the bottom of your terrarium. This can be as budget-conscious as damp paper towels or pebbles, moss or even potting mix.

Pebbles should be covered with moss to avoid any swallowing risk. Small pebbles, rocks or bark/wood chips should be avoided as a blockage risk if swallowed.

All substrate materials need to be kept moist, without being saturated. For one frog, spot checking and a minimum weekly substrate change will be required for paper towels. For an alternative substrate, such a pebbles or moss, daily spot-cleaning and removing of waste can help your substrate to last 2-3 months without needing to be changed.

LIFE SPAN

How long do pet tree frogs live for?

Depending on the species, and if well cared for, your frog can live up to and sometimes even exceeding 25 years!

PetWave Background

PetWave is an Australian online pet supply company that is expert in shipping delicate, live and frozen products to you and your pet’s door.

To view our Frog products, please click here.

We know that your time is valuable & you want access to reliable, premium products at perfect prices. We are able to satisfy your needs through our premium online offer.

We are very proud to offer the highest quality and largest selection of live fish, aquarium plants and driftwood creations, a wide range of live food such as insects, frozen pet food especially for snakes, lizards, amphibians and birds of prey and many rare, creative and beautiful decorations for your aquarium and terrarium.