Tree Frogs as Pets

Tree frogs turn out to be excellent pets, especially when you tend to face a crunch for space at your small apartment. There are various tree frogs species which are ideal to keeps as pets, but before you decide on keeping them, you will need a brief idea about how to keep tree frogs as pets, as each of these frogs species differ from one another, due to which the care they require also varies.

Tree Frog Species Which are Popular as Pets

Unlike large pets, tree frogs don't require much attention. What they do require is a humid place, with a small pond or fountain, some branches to perch on, and a place to hide during the day. You will have to make sure that you provide them with surroundings which resemble the natural habitat of tree frogs. Being tree dwellers, they sport remarkable climbing skills, with which they can easily scale the walls of a glass tank. You may also have to introduce some long sticks or plants in the glass tank for your pet frogs to perch on. Most of these frog species love small insects, with crickets topping the list of favorites among many tree frog species. More importantly, you are bound to feel proud of your pet frog when you see it hunting the insects when you offer them live ones.

Pacific Tree Frogs: With a life expectancy of 6 years and the ability to change color frequently, Pacific Tree Frogs turn out to be interesting pets indeed. They can be kept in small glass tank with a substrate made from sphagnum moss, coconut fiber, or soil. The substrate is meant to help the surroundings to retain moisture. The Pacific Tree Frog mainly feeds on insects such as crickets, silkworms, earthworms, etc. You will have to place a shallow water dish as a water source for your pet frog. These amphibians require a temperature of around 60 degrees Fahrenheit during the day, and 45 degrees Fahrenheit at night. The required 80 percent humidity can be attained by spraying water in the glass tank to keep the surroundings moist.

Red-eyed Tree Frogs: Red-eyed Tree Frogs are bright colored and beautiful, which makes them one of the most sought after tree frog species. They have a life expectancy of 4 years. Ideally, the glass tank wherein you plan to keep this species has to be tall, preferably taller than its width. Red-eyed tree frogs feed on insect species such as crickets, moths, flies, and other bugs. A temperature between 78 and 84 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal during the day, which can be brought down to 67 to 74 degrees Fahrenheit at night. The humidity levels of the glass tank have to be maintained between 80 to 100 percent at any point of time.

Green Tree Frogs: There are two subspecies of Green Tree Frogs which have gained wide popularity as exotic pets. They are the American Green Tree Frog, native to the United States, and the Australian tree frog, native to Australia and New Zealand. The glass tank wherein you plan to keep the pet frog should have a substrate made from artificial turf or carpet. You can add items like small branches to the glass tank for the frog to climb on them. This insectivorous species feeds on crickets, moths, flies, etc. When you keep American green tree frogs as pets, you will require to keep the temperature between 68 and 77 degrees Fahrenheit. A low wattage heat lamp or a heating pad which can be placed beneath the tank can be used for maintaining the necessary temperatures. In order to maintain the necessary levels of humidity, you will have to mist the surroundings of your pet with dechlorinated water once in a while.

Gray Tree Frogs: Gray Tree Frogs are medium-sized, arboreal frogs which are favored as pets in the many regions where they are found. These nocturnal creatures, i.e. mostly active at night, spend the entire day in a motionless state hiding in the tank. Significant in size, Gray Tree Frogs have a good appetite which makes them feed on almost anything you offer, including various insects and worm species. Other than substrates, you will also have to provide your pet Green Tree Frogs with perches and spots to hide. A water dish can be provided within the tank which will help in keeping the required levels of moisture.

Cuban Tree Frogs: The Cuban Tree Frogs have a large appetite as well, they can almost eat anything that moves. Ideally, this frog species feed on crickets, locusts, flies, silkworms, moths, earthworms, etc. You can use soil or live sphagnum moss to create substrate for the glass tank. Branches or small plants will act as perches as well as hiding places for your pet. Ideal temperature for Cuban Tree Frogs is 78 to 88 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and around 65 degrees Fahrenheit during the night. You will also have to place a shallow but a large dish of water in the tank, which will have to be changed every day.

Irrespective of which subspecies they belong to you, will have to take some simple measures as a part of the pet care routine to keep your pet frog safe and healthy. These include using a tall glass tank, sealing the top part of the tank, cleaning the frog tank, coating their feeds with the necessary mineral supplements, etc. Keeping these frogs as pets can be a great experience, but only when you put in enough effort to take care of your pets.