AMERICAN GREEN TREE FROG CARE SHEET
Hyla cinerea
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE: These Amphibians come with more than just beautiful colorations, a loud voice! The first thing you must consider before adopting an American Green Tree Frog is, “Can I adjust to having a small tree frog make the noise of a full grown dog?” Males are very loud and love to hear their voice! I have worked with frogs for so many years I do not even notice it anymore but that is not always true for others. However, females do not call.
Fun fact, they are the state Amphibian symbol of Georgia and Louisiana!
CAPTIVITY DIFFICULTY: Beginner
LIFE SPAN: 6 years
ACTIVITY: Activity: American Green Tree Frogs are nocturnal, meaning they are active from dusk to dawn. They spend the day time sleeping in the corners and walls of their enclosure, in hiding spots, and on leaves. It is at night that males use their wonderful loud voices to call out to females! Both male and female also take part in hunting, soaking, and moving around during the night time. While most species only call during their breeding season, in my experience the males called year-round and more heavily in the breeding season (April-July).
ENCLOSURE: American Green Tree Frogs require lots of elevated climbing places to match their natural environment in the treetops of North America. For the substrate, coconut fiber substrate, frog foam, or paper towels can be used. I would only suggest coconut fiber if you are planning to go bioactive or plant live plants. Live plants add lots of hiding places and create a more realistic environment. However there are many amazing false plants that create similar environments. I highly suggest EONMIR’s flexible vines for your enclosure. Truly the best and most durable vines I have used. It comes with many suction cups to help stabilize the vines, and allows one to create more unique designs. They are easy to clean and even come with two caps to prevent your animal from reaching the metal inside! Having many bad experiences with other brands, this is not sponsorship just an honest suggestion! Molding your vines around live/false plants creates the perfect enclosure for your American Green Tree Frog.
Adding Exo Terra plant vines to the corners of the enclosure gives great resting spots for your tree frog during the day. Driftwood, rocks, and other pieces can be added to give more resting places and hiding spots. Tree Frogs spend their time off the ground so no need for classic hides! It can actually be a sign your tree frog is ill if it spends long periods of time on the bottom of the enclosure. A decently sized water bowl is needed. I suggest a bowl 2 inches (5cm) deep and 4 inches (10cm) wide. A fog system may be used but misting 2-3 times a day also keeps the proper humidity. If using tap water, water conditioner must be used. This removes harmful chemicals and makes the water safe for your amphibian. Directions vary so be sure to read the label before using.
SIZE OF ENCLOSURE: 1-2 frogs require a 24″ x 12″ x 16″ (61 x 30.5 x 40.5 cm) or 20 Gallon Tall. These frogs need more vertical space than horizontal. For more than two frogs, increase vertically!
HUMIDITY: 70-80%
TEMPERATURE: Daytime temperatures should be 75 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit or 24 to 29 degrees Celsius.
Nighttime temperatures should never drop below 65 degrees Fahrenheit or 18 degrees Celsius.
LIGHTING: A heat lamp is never necessary unless the room your amphibian is in drops below 65 degrees F or 18 degrees Celsius. If it does, use a low wattage reptile heat lamp in the day, and a low wattage infrared heat lamp at night. A UVB light is recommended. It helps improve your frogs’ overall health. A linear 2.0 UVB is best. Never use higher than 2.0, it is too strong and can harm your frog!
FEEDING: Live crickets or Dubia roaches should be your Green Tree Frogs main diet. Feeding 4-5 feeds every other day is perfect. I calcium dust the food every other feeding. Calcium dust is essentially “vitamins” for your frogs. It helps improve your frogs’ overall health. Earthworms, Mealworms, Wax worms, and Horn worms can be given as snacks periodically. A diverse diet means a healthy and happy frog!
HOW TO SEX: Male’s have a very loud mating call, similar to the sound of a barking dog. They also have a yellow tint to their throat and the skin is baggier than females.
Females are larger than males and are not vocal.
SIZE: As explained above, American Green Tree Frogs vary in size based on sex. An estimate length for an adult American Green Tree Frog is 1-2.5 inches (2.5-6.3cm).
I AM NEW TO FROGS, ARE THEY GOOD FOR BEGINNERS?
These frogs are great for beginners! However, if you are looking for a frog to commonly handle, this species is not for you. American Green Tree Frogs can become easily stressed with too much handling. This species is best to observe and only handle when needed!