American Green Tree Frog Care Sheet & Pet Guide
Also known as New World Tree Frog (Hyla cinerea)
Keeping American green tree frogs as pets is an enjoyable experience for beginners and experts alike. This species is hardier than most tree frogs which makes them easy to care for. Daily attention is required, but it’s minimal once their enclosure is set up.
This guide will show you everything you need to know to properly care for American green tree frogs. From setting up their cage, feeding, reproduction, and everything in-between.
American green tree frogs are common in the Southeastern United States and because of this, many people catch them in the wild and bring them home as pets. I tend to frown upon this because it can be stressful for a wild animal to be placed in captivity.
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American Green Tree Frog Tank Setup
When creating a habitat for American green tree frog pets, it’s important to remember they are an arboreal species that prefer living in trees. This means vertical space is more important than the width or depth of the enclosure.
Provide plenty of climbing opportunities, places to hide, and basking areas on the bottom, middle, and towards the top of their tank.
Frogs like to feel safe, having several places to hide whenever they feel threatened. This can be accomplished using leafy decorations, rocks, and branches.
Because American green tree frogs are small and light-weight, most plants, real or fake, will offer hiding and climbing opportunities. Branches, when placed properly, allow for basking and climbing.
Here is a quick overview of what you need:
- Terrarium (preferably 18x18x24 – 12x12x18 minimum)
- A large, shallow water dish
- Branches and plants for climbing
- Heat lamp for creating a temperature gradient
- A non-particulate substrate
- In-cage thermometer & hygrometer
- Spray bottle for misting
Buying the terrarium/tank is the most costly part of the setup. To save you time (and money), I’ve compiled a list of the best tree frog terrarium kits. Feel free to check out that post when you’re finished here.
Cage decorations should be sturdy enough to support the weight of your pet(s). Ensure rocks and branches cannot be moved by your frog. You don’t want your beloved tree frog to get crushed by a poorly-placed decoration!
As for the type and dimensions of the enclosure, I suggest using a-glass terrarium at least 18″ (width) x 18″ (depth) x 24″ (height) with a screen lid.
You can get away with something a little smaller but I don’t recommend it. American green tree frogs can grow up to 2.5 inches and they need some room to jump and climb.
If you decide to house 2 or more in the same cage you might consider a 24″x 18″x 36″ terrarium. Regardless of how many you’re keeping, the bigger the cage, especially in height, the better off your frogs will be.
UVB lighting is not required but a heating element is recommended. American green tree frogs do well at room temperature but giving them a nice temperature gradient within their cage is beneficial.
Lighting
UVB lighting is not required for this species because they’re nocturnal. A 5.0 UVB light can be used during daytime hours to keep live plants healthy. Just be sure to set the light on a timer to provide your pets with a day and night cycle of around 12 hours each. During summertime, the daytime cycle can be increased up to 14 hours.
To be 100% clear on this; American green tree frogs do not need UVB light. A UVB light is only needed for the health of live plants within the enclosure.
To further expand on this topic – it’s important to know that high levels of UVB is harmful to amphibians. There is evidence to suggest they can benefit from low levels. If you use a UVB light, don’t use anything above a 5.0, and provide lots of leafy plants for your frogs to hide behind.
Temperature
Room temperature is a great starting point for American green tree frogs. That, of course, depends on what you consider “room temperature” is.
The recommended temperature for this species is between 70 – 80 degrees Fahrenheit during the day. The temperature can drop slightly during the nighttime hours but no lower than 65 ° F.
A temperature gradient is recommended. Doing this allows the top portion of the enclosure to be at or near 80 °F while the bottom of the enclosure is slightly cooler. This gives your pet the option to move into warmer or cooler temperatures, depending on how they feel.
To create the temperature gradient, place a heat lamp above the enclosure but not directly on the screen lid. Sitting the light on the lid can be hazardous for your frog if it comes into contact with the hot surface. Instead, suspend the light 1 – 2 inches above the lid.
It’s a good idea to run your heating element through a thermostat to help regulate the temperature.
Once the heat lamp is installed, use a thermometer to check the temperature of the highest basking area. Adjust the light so the basking area is around 80 degrees Fahrenheit. The bottom of your American green tree frog’s cage should be no lower than 70 degrees.
An under-tank heater is another option for heating your frog’s enclosure. Whichever route you take, be sure to use a thermometer to ensure the temperature is correct. Here are some points to remember:
- Don’t place heating lamp directly on the screen lid.
- Under-tank heating pads are okay – be careful, don’t place it on flammable materials.
- Use an in-tank thermometer to check the temperature.
- Creating a temperature gradient is great.
A note about UTH (Under Tank Heaters): They are relatively inefficient at heating enclosures. I’ve had the best results using heat lamps. Heat lamps work better but they dry out the enclosure faster. UTH won’t dry out the enclosure but they typically fail to raise the air temperature.
Substrate
American green tree frogs are ferocious eaters and because of this, impaction is a potential problem. Impaction occurs when a substrate is accidentally consumed and cannot be digested.
Tiny pebbles, for example, can be eaten by accident when your pet goes after a cricket. The cricket will be digested but the tiny pebble will not! Over time, the number of pebbles in your frog’s stomach will cause severe injury and death.
For this reason, I don’t recommend small rocks or other particulate substrates.
I recommend using coconut fiber because it’s safe for most reptiles, it’s cheap, and looks good too. You can buy bricks of compressed coconut fiber online or at local pet stores for around $5.
If you decide to use live plants in the enclosure, you’ll need something more suitable for live plants than coco husk fiber. “ABG mix” is popular in the reptile/amphibian hobby because it supports plant life nicely.
ABG mix is a combination of peat moss, sphagnum moss, charcoal, fern, and orchid bark. You can buy ABG mixes online or find a recipe and make your own.
Water Quality
Using toxin-free water with a neutral pH balance and natural minerals is a must for all amphibians. If you’re not familiar with this, I recommend reading the complete water guide in the guide section of this website.
Don’t use untreated tap water. Most municipal water treatment plants use chlorine or chloramines to protect drinking water from harmful contaminants. Because amphibians have semi-permeable skin, and they’re more delicate than humans, these chemicals can be harmful to them.
Regardless, there are products like Repti-Safe that you can use to dechlorinate tap water. Dechlorination agents are cheap and last a long time.
Alternatively, you can fill a bucket of tap water and let it set up for 24 hours. This will remove most of the chlorine.
AGTFs are not great swimmers so a shallow water dish is all that is recommended. It should hold enough water to sustain them for a few days.
Humidity
The humidity level inside your frog’s terrarium should be around 50% or slightly higher. Mist the cage daily. An all-glass terrarium and quality substrate will help retain humidity.
Humidity levels can range up and down but they shouldn’t stay high (or low) for too long. The best way to ensure humidity is within the correct range, get a hygrometer.
There is no shortage of decent thermometer/hygrometer combo meters on the market. They range from $5 to $20+. I recommend getting one for around $15; the extremely cheap ones are wildly inaccurate. See my post on the best thermo/hygro meters for more information.
American Green Tree Frog Diet
American green tree frogs are fun to watch eating because of their insatiable appetites and quick response time. They often respond instantly when food is introduced into their cage, making quick work of it and quickly looking for more.
American Green Tree Frogs Eat:
- Crickets
- Mealworms
- Wax Worms
- Dubia Roaches
A balanced diet consists of a variety of different insects but in captivity, the bulk of their food will likely come from crickets.
Feed your tree frog gut-loaded crickets, dusted with vitamin powder 3 – 4 times per week. Adults eat less often than juveniles.
Keep a close eye on the frog so you can adjust their diet accordingly. If your frog is overweight, consider reducing the number of crickets you feed them each meal. Likewise, if they’re underweight – you need to feed them more crickets per feeding or feed them more times per week.
Over-eating usually isn’t a problem with this species, it’s the nutritional quality of their diet you need to worry about. This is why they need gut-loaded crickets and supplements.
You can learn a lot more on this topic by reading my post: What Do Frogs Eat?
Breeding American Green Tree Frogs
Female American green tree frogs breed one time per year. The mating season lasts from April through August and the typical clutch contains up to 400 eggs.
The temperature, rainfall, and length of a day all play a role in determining the beginning of the breeding season. In captivity, however, the climate within their enclosure rarely changes.
It’s up to you to make the changes in order to mimic the rainy season.
Sexing
Males are slightly smaller and have a baggier vocal sac, yellowish in color. When you hear your frogs singing at night, find a way to watch them or flip on the lights; the male’s vocal sac may still be inflated. Look for an enlarged, for lack of better words, bubble-shaped throat.
Mating
I’ve personally never bred American green tree frogs and I cannot find a reputable source with this information. When making these guides, I search for people with first-hand experience and I’ve yet to find someone to help with this section.
What I have come across is information regarding the length of day, heat, and rainfall affecting breeding. For captive American green tree frogs, you can attempt to mimic these elements by misting more often, increasing their daytime cycle, and raising the heat a few degrees.
When your frogs begin mating, they will assume the amplexus position where the male grasps the female around her body. The eggs pass through the female’s cloacal openings while the male fertilizes them outside the body.
In the wild, eggs are laid among moss, logs, and sticks but in captivity, they will be attached to decorations in the water or along the walls of the container. The eggs will hatch within 7 days.
Tadpoles & Froglets
The little tadpoles can be fed the commercial aquatic frog & tadpole pellets, nutritional lettuce, and other organic leafy greens. Adding an Indian almond tree leaf is a great way to add tannins to the water as well as provide shelter for the tadpoles.
Water temperature can remain between 65 – 75 degrees Fahrenheit and over the course of 60 days, your tadpoles will develop into froglets.
As their rear legs fully develop, their tail will slowly disappear and their color will transition from black to green. Your American green tree frog will fully mature within 12 months.
The best way to feed tadpoles, in my experience, is by feeding them boiled, baby spinach leaves. Mix this with a few pellets of commercial tadpole food.
Tadpoles primarily eat plant matter before metamorphosis. Afterward, their digestive system favors that of insects. So, as they grow lets and absorb their tails, they will gain the ability to hop on land.
At this point, you can begin feeding them pinhead crickets or wingless fruit flies.
Handling American Green Tree Frogs
If you’re looking for a frog to carry around, an American green tree frog is not the best choice. Most frogs are kept for display and observation. Having said that, I understand you’ll need to clean their cage and transfer them from time to time. This is perfectly acceptable.
I have a few tips and tricks for doing this. The first is this: Before handling, wash your hand thoroughly or wear gloves. Frogs have delicate skin and chemicals and oils from your hands are harmful to them.
My second tip is this: Place your frog into a small container before doing extensive cleaning. Don’t worry about this unless you need to change the substrate or clean for more than 5 minutes. For more information, check out our frog handling post in the guide section.
American Green Tree Frogs In the Wild
American green tree frogs are found throughout the Southeastern United States. They have been found as far east as Delaware and New Jersey and as far west as central Texas.
This species grows up to 2.5 inches in the wild. They enjoy spending their time in bodies of water with dense vegetation. Tall grasses, cattails, and even trees growing from small ponds, streams, lakes, and marshes are the ideal habitats for the American green tree frog.
Frequently Asked Questions
This section is meant to answer some of the most frequently asked questions regarding keeping American Green Tree Frogs as pets. Feel free to use the comment section if you’ve still got questions.
Yes, for the most part. They’re a hardy species that tolerates a wide range of temperatures and humidity. Despite this, hobbyists should do their best to keep their pets as comfortable as possible. The most difficult part, in my opinion, is creating a suitable enclosure.
No, not really. Few amphibians tolerate handling and this species is not one of them.
Do not feed them dead crickets. First, they likely won’t even acknowledge a dead cricket. They’re carnivores and like to ambush live insects. Moreover, the crickets (or other feeder insects) should be healthy in order to keep your pet tree frog healthy.
TLDR; The Basics of American Green Tree Frog Pet Care
This is a long guide and trying to summarize it in a few paragraphs is difficult. One needs to spend plenty of time researching the topic before buying a frog.
American Green Tree Frogs are mostly hardy and beginner-friendly. They enjoy vertical space over horizontal space. For that reason, a vertical-style terrarium is recommended. You’ll need a heating element to keep the enclosure within the recommended range.
Daily misting is required and the hobbyist should monitor a thermometer/hygrometer often to ensure the temperature and humidity are within a suitable range.
Adults eat three to four times per week and they need live, healthy insects. Finally, a day and night cycle is required! You may need a supplemental light, placed on a timer, to ensure there is plenty of light in the enclosure during the daytime hours.
51 Comments
Hi I’m getting green tree frogs and have a few questions. First what decor should I use? And I am planning to start a reptile and amphibian breeding business and I want to know how to help mimic their natural habitat. ( By the way I’m 11 :). :). 😅
Hello. I am trying to identify this little guy I just found on my flowers in Michigan. We have tree frogs that are more textured and grayish/greenish that stick on our screens. This little one is very smooth. I have not seen any other markings and don’t want to disturb it. It is about the size of my pinky nail! Any ideas?
It’s hard to say! I wish I could see a picture. It could be a Gray Tree Frog or a Boreal Chorus Frog.
I recently got an American tree frog, but the place that I got it from may have stressed her out. They left her in a cage with two geckos for a month. This may have left her the color black instead of green
I’ve taken her home but even after 7 hours she’s still black. I’ve set up everything, but I don’t know what to do.what do you advise?
Whoa! Any chance you can email me a picture? Honestly I’m thinking call a vet! I don’t want to advise you and it end up hurting your frog. So please understand that I’m not qualified to give medical advice for an amphibian. I will give you some tips though! First of all, I urge you to at least call a vet and see what they have to say. 2nd, make sure the environment is suitable – proper temperature and humidity. Next, be sure to feed really healthy crickets to your pet and dust them with reptile vitmin/mineral powder.
Heya person! I have a question? How many times a week do i feed the frog. Im planning to get one but im not finding any info about that specific thing. Im only seeing to sprinkle the vitamin stuff 3-4 times a week but nothing about the food specifically. If you could give me the information i would really appreciate it!
Check out this page about what frogs eat. It has a lot of information regarding how much/how often to feed frogs. In short, 2 – 3 times per week for adults! 3 – 4 times per week when they’re juveniles. Also, the size of the crickets you feed them shouldn’t be any bigger than the width of the frog’s mouth!
John,
I want to explain the habitat setup process better to my 7yo. He found this article while doing his own research on the perfect fit for a pet frog. He’s decided on an AGTF.
I’m assuming just like a fish tank, the terrarium needs to be setup and regulated before introducing the AGTF. Is this correct?
Hey Jamie! Thanks for the comment! It’s great your little one is doing research to make a nice habitat for a tree frog!
The answer to your question is Yes. In a bioactive habitat or enclosure with live plants, most people wait around 2 weeks. If you’re using a cleanup crew in the substrate (springtails and isopods), it’s a good idea to let them get established first. You don’t have to worry about the springtails but isopods are big enough to become an easy meal for a frog. I hope this answers your question!
In our warmest weather temperature drop to about 70 Degrees . I posted similar question could you give me some tips for trips away?
Hi John, do you think it would be ok to leave a tree frog for the weekend without a lamp or humidifier when the weather is warm enough in our area what do you recommend for trips away?
If it’s just a couple days you’ll be fine! Anything longer than that I would recommend asking a friend or neighbor to mist the enclosure! So, that’s one option. Another option is to get some smart plugins if you already have a smart home device (like Apple HomeKit, or Amazon Alexa). You can set them to turn on/off automatically at certain times of the day. If you don’t have a smart home device, you can still get something similar. Google “Zoo Med Repticare Day Night Reptile Timer” or other timer-controlled electrical socket plugins. I hope this is helpful!
Thank you for the information!
Hi, we just got an American tree frog and we have him set up with a heat lamp and humidifier because it’s a little cold in our area but I was wondering if it would be an issue to leave him for the weekend with out the lamp or humidifier or will he be ok for the weekend?
He would probably be fine. What will the lowest temperature be?
I’ve found a wild tree frog roaming my house. It’s the dead of winter so I can’t release him. I have a small tank but not much else. What can I do?
You could attempt keeping him inside over the winter and release him during the spring. Do you know what type of tree frog it is? If you chose to keep it, I recommend reading a care guide (like this one) so you can keep him healthy! Good luck.
We found a tree frog this weekend in one of the plants i brought inside almost 2 months ago. We heard him calling for a couple of days before discovering which plant he was roosting in. Its too cold to put him outside now here. We think he’s still alive ( haven’t heard or seen him for 2 or 3 days now). I’ve put water out for him what should I do now. Don’t mind him being loose in the plants as long as I can take care of him toll warm weather. Any suggestions?
Whats the temperature in his location? If it gets too cold he might go into a state of dormancy. Does he have something to eat? If not, and you don’t mind doing this, maybe you could pick up some mealworms from a pet store and feed him a few occasionally.
Hey John,
We were given a handful of tadpoles by a friend, two of them survived so far, one has already become a Frog and the other is still a tadpole, we had a very shallow water bowl for the frog in the cage but as the tadpole started getting close to completing transition to froggy we moved him into the aquarium from the bowl we had him in. Well, the poor thing flopped himself out of the bowl… We found him in time and got him back into the water and put a little deeper bowl in there, and he hasn’t had a problem since. We did notice the froggy had trouble getting out of the water, so we put a rock in there that had a little slope, so he could climb in and out easily.
Well the little frog accidentally drown this morning 🙁
I told my daughter once the tadpole turns into a frog to put the shallower water bowl back in there and to make sure the water level is only as deep as where the froggy can still stand. Is this a good idea? Or should he have space to swim a little bit.
Also, if we ever raise tadpoles to froggies again what should we do in instances where one becomes a frog before the other? I didn’t want to leave the tadpole in a water bowl not in the enclosure in case he finished becoming a frog while we were sleeping.
Hey Kelly!
I’m so sorry to hear about the little frog. This is a really good question. It’s a topic I intend to cover (eventually). I’ve found a couple different strategies. Since tadpoles tend to develop at different speeds, it can be difficult to care for all of them at the same time. Some are still in transition and need a few inches of water to swim in. Others are completing their transition into little froglets.
Here are two ideas. The first is this. Place the tadpoles in a 5 – 10 gallon aquarium with 2 – 4 inches of water. Continue to feed them like normal. Once there are tadpoles absorbing their tails, prop one side of the aquarium up so there is a slope. This will create a “land” area where the froglets can go when they’re ready.
The other idea is this. This is what I did on my last batch of tadpoles. I had at least 6 inches of water filled in a 15 gallon aquarium and I placed two pieces of cork bark in there. Cork bark floats. None of the frogs had trouble climbing on it. The only issue I ran into was it was hard to see the little frogs on it.
I hope this helps!
Hi!
I have baby frogs we hatched from tadpoles we did a great job helping them through the metamorphosis stage and hatched and released over 70 frogs, but we are going to keep the remaining three that have into frogs. As tadpoles they are boiled lettuce, but once they had 4 legs they no longer ate this. I purchased frog food and they still will not eat it (the pallets). I just discovered that because it’s for aquatic frogs and our American tree frogs obviously do not eat that. Any suggestions on what to feed these 1-3 day old frogs. And how often do frogs this small eat?
Live pinhead crickets or wingless fruit flies! It’s hard to say how many because they’re so small. Dump in 10 per frog and see if they eat them all. If so, try a few more the next time you feed them. If not, give them a few less. As the frogs grow, they will be able to eat bigger crickets.
Live pinhead crickets or wingless fruit flies! It’s hard to say how many because they’re so small. Dump in 10 per frog and see if they eat them all. If so, try a few more the next time you feed them. If not, give them a few less. As the frogs grow, they will be able to eat bigger crickets.
I have a dumpy tree frog and I’m thinking about getting another, and I was just wondering if I’d need to make any changes to my current setup? I have a 12x12x18 habitat, so would I need a bigger one? Also, I’m a bit confused about how to feed both of them without one eating all of the food and leaving the over one nothing.
Adding new frogs into an established habitat can be tricky for one reason. That reason is the size of the current inhabitant(s). Adding a juvenile tree frog into an enclosure with a large, adult tree frog can cause problems. It’s not this way with every species but it’s a common issue. The larger one picks on the smaller one. If they’re nearly the same size you most likely won’t have any issues. As for feeding them – try and watch while they eat to ensure they’re both getting enough food.
Hey John hope you are well and happy holidays to you. I had recently gotten a 20 gallon long tank and was looking to house a few of these frogs. My tank lid is a glass lid and is not the screen kind is this going to be a problem for the frogs? Also I used to have a White’s tree frog as well would it be okay to put maybe a couple American tree frogs together and a Whites tree frog or would it be bad? Thanks!
The enclosure should be cleaned thoroughly before switching species. The glass lid could be a problem because it will trap in humidity and there won’t be much air circulation at all. Can you switch it to a screen lid?
this is a great article!! ive wanted AGTF’s for months but wanted to do research first. thank you for the free information!!!
You’re welcome!
Hi! I am about to get a green tree frog so of course, I’m doing the research but I’m still a little confused about some things. First, is cypress mulch a good substrate or should I get a carpet? And is tap water fine or should I use a water conditioner? What conditioner would you recommend? Also, I was wondering what kind of insect I should get as food and how to take care of those? I’m completely new to reptiles and amphibians!
I’m glad to hear you’re doing your research! There is a lot to learn and it can feel overwhelming. Please don’t use cypress mulch or carpet! Try cocohusk fiber like Zoo Med’s Eco Earth. I have a post about substrate you’ll find useful. Tap water is fine if you use a water conditioner like ReptiSafe. See our water quality guide for amphibians. We also have a guide for feeding frogs! I hope this helps.
Hi John! I have had an american green tree frog for a little over 6 months now. His name is Louie! He is brown and not bright green almost all the time. I have read that this can be due to temp and humidity, but the temp and humidity is within the ranges you listed and his color still does not change to green. Is this just his color or could this be a sign of a health issue?
Thanks for the help!
Hey Lora! You know, changing colors is an interesting topic. Sunlight makes a difference and so does their surroundings. One time I had a Red eyed tree frog fall asleep half way in the shade and half under the light. After turning the light off I noticed her skin was a brighter shade of green where she was exposed to the light. Meanwhile she slept through the whole thing lol. What are you feeding Louie? Have you been dusting with vitamins and calcium?
Hey there! I want you to know that I have seen a lot more sources that say that UVB is beneficial for American Green Tree Frogs than those that say they’re not. In fact, this article is the only one I’ve found that says that UVB is not required. Knowing where I caught my Frog and the habitat it lived in, I can’t imagine it lived a life free of sunshine. Do you have a UVB light over the terrarium?
For many frogs, UVB isn’t a requirement but it’s certainly acceptable. A UVB 5 bulb would be beneficial so long as there is plenty of hiding places for your frog to escape the UVB. Plants, branches, etc. If you don’t have a UVB bulb, they will obtain calcium/D3 via supplement powder dusted on their food.
Hi, John. Thanks for this fantastically informative site! We just got an American green tree frog for our 12-year-old (first pet ever), set up a ZooMed 12x12x18” vivarium, and have followed all your directions. So far, so good! Two questions, though:
We want to add some live plants. Are avocado plants (i.e. baby trees we sprouted from seeds) OK? I can’t find them on any of the amphibian-safe lists. I know our frog won’t nibble on it, but is there any other reason not to use it? Avocados are widely grown in Florida, and the vivarium is a perfect environment for them.
Second, I know AGTF’s are not swimmers and only need a shallow water bowl, but for humidity purposes (and because it looks cool) is there any reason not to put in a small waterfall, e.g. the small Exo-Terra one (about 9 x 7 x 6”)? The bottom is about the same size as the fake rock bowl. Thank you!
Hey Michele! Great questions. I’m not an expert on the subject of plants and toxins they produce but I’ll try to help. I did some research and found that Avacados have a fungicidal toxin called “Persin”. Some animals have bad reactions after eating the leaves or bark. While frogs probably won’t be eating the leaves, they could still be in danger. Amphibians have semi-permeable skin – they can easily absorb toxins through their skin. According to Wikipedia, Persin is harmful to birds, rabbits, mice, cats, and dogs. There is no mention of frogs. To err on the side of caution, I would not put an avocado in its vivarium.
A waterfall would be a great addition to your tree frog’s vivarium! It won’t hurt them and I couldn’t agree more, they look awesome!
Thanks, John. So, no avocado. How about mango or citrus (grapefruit, lemon, orange), also sprouted at home? Or just let me know your recommended resource for the plant-toxicity-to-animals info.
Update: whoa, I just found this Very long list of frog no-no plants from Australia: https://frogs.org.au/community/viewtopic.php?t=6817
It includes cherry trees, so now I’m concerned. The pet store staff said any kind of fruit tree branch was ok in the vivarium as a climbing stick, so I took a couple of nice, twisty, ones leftover from pruning from my cherry tree; cleaned, sanded & sterilized them in the oven; and our frog has been happily climbing and basking on them all week. What do you think? Are Australian tree frogs pretty similar to ours? Is this guy’s list relevant? Thanks again!!
Don’t get too hasty or worried 🙂 That’s a long list of plants and the effects of the toxins on amphibians isn’t well documented. At least not that I can find. One would really need to research each type of plant/tree they’re putting into the vivarium. My favorite branches/wood are cork bark, drift wood, mopani, bamboo, grapevine, and manzanita wood. I’ve even used branches from elm trees after cleaning, sanding and sterilizing them (like you mentioned). As for plants – Golden pathos, mosses, bromeliads, orchids, ferns, etc
I found two other sources for you to take a look at. One is this PDF and the other is on this website. It may be a bit more helpful being based in the US.
Hey, we have two AGTF (we are I’m based) we have just upgraded to a massive 90x45x90 exo Terra ! We are wanting to do a paludarium with cold water shrimp (length of water will be 90cm x10) with a water filter. They’ll have plenary of land space also (going bioactive) Is this something that I could for the AGTF or would we have problems with humidity? Many thanks
Hey, Charlotte! That’s a great question and it’s exciting you’re doing a big paludarium! I believe you can make it work! Since you’re aware that humidity might be an issue, I’ll give you some pointers. Also, Exo Terras are pretty efficient when it comes to airflow so you’re off to a good start. Definitely get a hygrometer (or two). Place one near the substrate layer and one towards the top of the enclosure. Monitor the hygrometers before putting the tree frogs in the enclosure. If the humidity is still too high, get a 40mm fan (or something similar)! This will help circulate the air and get some humidity out of the enclosure. Be careful with the fans, ofc. You’ll want something that’s safe. Don’t use anything your frogs can climb inside or get his/her appendages in. This might require some clever thinking on your part. You could hide a fan inside something which is covered by a screen. The screen ofc would allow air to flow through it but keep your tree frog from entering. I believe there are a few brands making fans specifically for terrarium setups like yours. I hope this helps! Feel free to reply if you have more questions! Good luck!
A week ago we noticed a green tree frog hanging out on the siding by our front door. He’s been there ever since. It’s now getting colder at night, 57 degrees last night, and I’m worried about his survival.
Your buddy should be just fine. American Green Tree Frogs hibernate during the winter months.
Could I use ivy planted in a small pot in my aquarium? Would these plants be toxic to my frogs?
Hey, Lisa! I believe Ivy plants in the Hedera Genus are on the dangerous list. A golden pathos, which is sometimes called an ivy, is perfectly fine! Do you know the species?
okay I have my American green tree frog tank setup. But I am having a hard time keeping the temp. up and the humidity up. what light or lights do I need to get? and is there something that I can do to keep it in? please help. Thank you.
Hey, Amanda! To keep the temperature up, I recommend getting either a heating mat or a ceramic heat lamp. The heat lamp will cause the enclosure to dry out faster but they usually do better at keeping up the temperature. Check out this post. A thermometer / hygrometer device will help you track the temp & humidity. As for the humidity, there are several devices that can help; misters or foggers. Both of which can be expensive. I’ve found the best way to keep up the humidity is to mist the tank with water using a cheap spray bottle. Doing this twice per day should be enough for an American green tree frog. Finally, the light just needs to provide them with a day and night cycle. Most frogs benefit from a small amount of UVB lighting but that’s debatable. I’ve used the Exo Terra day & night LED light for red-eyed tree frogs for several months and it worked alright. I don’t recommend that product but a simple LED should suffice. Check this post for more info about the lights.
I have read your information and being fact orientated, I found it to be of good SATs.
In breading, category, I am adding real tree branches with Java moss attached to a 1 gallon corner tank in the 29 gallon primary holding tank,
I believe this will encourage the breading of this frog.
Note:
If you stop and think, when you visit a wet or marchy area, you can smell a marchy Oder the Java moss provides this sent, and can be grown out of the water if humidity is in the 75 to 85 percent range. I am sure this will have the positive effect on their breading.
Hey, David! I’m glad you enjoyed the breeding section. I agree with you on the Java moss; anything that helps to recreate their natural environment will be beneficial.
I still haven’t found anyone with first-hand experience in breeding American green tree frogs – Sorry I can’t be more helpful. If I had to guess, I’d say that cycling the frogs will play the biggest role in whether or not you can get them to reproduce. A nice winter season followed by a spring season with higher temps, more rainfall (water, humidity, etc) and more food.
I wish you the best of luck, my friend! Please, keep us updated! I’d love to know whether or not you’re able to get some little tadpoles.