The green tree frog is the most popular pet frog in the world.
And with very good reasons:
- It is docile.
- It can live up to 16 years.
- It is not afraid of humans.
- It is as pretty as a cartoon character with big golden eyes.
- Easy to maintain. Not expensive.
- Can about 10 cm (4 inches) in length.
- Very well adjusted to life in a confined space.
- Can make the usual frogs’ brawk, brawk, brawk noise.
- Can change colour from green to brown.
- Eats a simple diet of crickets, mealworms and other insects.
- Can be handled,.
The green tree frog that is sold in Singapore is the Australian species (Litoria caerulea). Also known as the Australian Green Tree Frog, White’s Tree Frog (named after John White who first described it in 1790) or Dumpy Tree Frog because it tends to get obese with a dumpy appearance.
Keeping it is easy. All you need is a glass or plastic tank. A 2 ft tank will be suitable. You can also buy special terrarium tanks. (see Exo Terra or ZooMed).
The frog is an amphibian and can climb and jump. So a well ventilated cover is necessary. It needs warmth and humidity. The frog’s skin needs to be kept moist. You can use artificial turf for the base and being a climber you need to have branches and leaves for it to climb. You can do a terrarium set up with a wet and a dry area. Our high humidity climate is ideal but placing a bowl of water will help prevent dehydration. Daily misting (spraying of water) is recommended.
You can take it out and put it on your hands but it is not advisable for prolonged periods because it is likely to jump away and your attempt to capture it will result in injury.
Beware of overfeeding. Most frogs in captivity do not have enough exercise and they end up obese unlike their counterparts in the wild who need to hop and jump to get their supper every night. The frog is nocturnal being more active at night.
Petmart Pte Ltd has the licence to sell and display the Green Tree Frog.
