A very popular tree frog that is by nature placid and easily tamed, some will readily accept food from humans.

Description:
This is a large, smooth skinned, heavy bodied tree frog. The color may vary from a very pretty jade to a rather bright green, to olive brown. Some examples have a bluish cast. This frog is also known as the “Australian Green”, “giant Green”, and the “white’s Tree frog”. The females of this species tend to develop heavy supratympanal folds that extend forward, and are best developed above the eyes. In some particularly old and obese specimens, these ridges may become so enlarged and pendulous that they actually droop over at least part of the eye, partially obscuring vision. Both sexes have a short and rounded nose.

It has been known that the blue coloration of the dumpy tree frogs may be caused by a diet deficient to a degree in Beta-carotene. Some Dumpy Tree frogs have a variable amount of white spotting on their dorsum. Breeding programs are now underway to increase the amount of white present. The glandular skin of the dumpy tree frog is resistant to desiccation. The belly skin is granular. The toe pads are large and although these frogs are proportionality stout, they climb well. The territorial and breeding calls of the Whites tree frog are a single, harsh, often repeated croak.

Size and Lifespan

Male dumpy tree frogs seldom exceed 3 ½ inches (9 cm) in length, but some females may attain a length of almost 5 inches ( 13 cm). White’s tree frogs are very hardy and long lived. Many captives have lived for more than 15 years, and it is probable that more than 25 years could be attained.

Natural Range

Male dumpy tree frogs occur throughout the Northern half of Australia and in Southern New Guinea. Because they are resistant to desiccation and drought, dumpy tree frogs are able to colonize in relatively dry regions. Examples from the Southern part of the range have proven to be quite cold tolerant. As would be expected, those from the more tropical areas of Northern Australia and Indonesia are more cold sensitive and must be kept warm throughout the year.

Captive Care

Dumpy tree frogs will thrive for years on a regimen of minimal care. They are quiet, are almost always ready to eat, and the somewhat comical appearance of the old adults endears them to many folks who otherwise have little interest in frogs. A 5 gallon tank is large enough for two or three new metamorphoses. A ten gallon will house two adults satisfactorily. In suitable warm weather, dumpy tree frogs may be kept outside in cages of wood and wire construction (containing plants and a water dish). These frogs are particularly at home in heavily planted green houses.
Daytime terrarium temperatures of 80 – 85 degrees and nighttime lows of 68 to 75 degrees are acceptable. The glandular secretions of a dumpy tree frog and most other frogs will irritate mucous membranes (eyes, nose, and mouth) Wash your hands both before and after handling this frog species.

Breeding

Visual determination of the sex is difficult. Adult male dumpy tree frogs often develop a darker throat with looser skin than that of the female. The loose skin accommodates the swelling of the vocal sac during chorusing. Males are also slightly smaller than the females. To cycle healthy, heavy adults, provide a natural photoperiod and cool the frogs to about 68 degrees for a period of 60 days. After 60 days return your frogs to their natural regimen of warmth and feed them heavily. After about a week begin to use the hydration chamber. A healthy female may lay between 1,000 and 4,000 eggs. Decide on the number you wish to raise, and discard the rest. The jelly coated eggs will hatch in three to seven days. If conditions are optimum, metamorphosis may occur in just over four week’s time, but can take up to two months time. The metamorphoses will require many tiny, vitamin enhanced insects.

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Color : Varies from light fawn color to dark brown and may be red or ashy in tone. There is a x shaped dark mark between the eyes, an oblique cross on the back, and bars on the legs. The underparts are light in color. The throat of the male is brown

Measurements: This is the smallest of the treefrogs! The male is about ¾ to 1 inch and the female about 1 to 1 ¼ inches.

Structure: The head is pointed; the ear is visible yet smaller than the eye. The disks on the fingers and toes are prominent. The feet are only moderately webbed.

Range: Eastern North America. It has been reported in Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Illinois, and Michigan.

There are few people in the United States who do not know the voice of the spring pepper. Where do you think this bad boy got its name? he males are well known for their particularly high pitched PE-EP, PE-EP, PE-EP, PE-EP, which they sound in early spring. Their call might actually confuse others into believing a large frog was making them! Spring peppers emerge very early in the spring from hibernation sites in forest debris, where they ward off the effects of freezing temperatures by manufacturing glucose.. As you may have guessed, the spring pepper eats small insects such as spiders, ants, and the like. The spring pepper has a lot of predators though, like snakes and skunks to be wary of.

Spring Peepers breed from March to June in Colder areas and October to March in Warmer areas. According to researchers, female spring peppers apparently favor older males, which call at a faster rate than their younger companions. Spring Peepers lay a lot of eggs, typically about 900 or more a clutch! That is quite a lot of peepers, although it needs to be that way, for survival rate to increase.

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Color – Changeable from a color so dark that it is nearly black, to a flesh color. When light, the coloration may be bluish or ash grey, fawn color, or even salmon or red in tone. Iris golden or copper colored. There is a dark stripe which begins at the muzzle and extends through the eye and ear, and less conspicuously to the middle of the side of the body or beyond. This dark color is bordered below by a light band which extends to a point back of the arm. The immediate edge of the jaw is dark. There may be a pattern of dark lines or spots on the back, head, and legs. This pattern consists typically of the following:

1. Three longitudinal stripes (or series of spots). The middle one of the three occupies the midline of the back and may fork posteriorly. The two others extend backward and parallel to this, from the posterior angles of the eyes.
2. A transverse band between the eyes connected with the median stripe.
3. Crossbands, or more or less irregular lines of spots, on the hind legs. The underparts are a yellowish white. The throat of the male is a greenish yellow.

Measurements – size small, i.e length of 1 inch, slightly more or less. The Body relatively is long and slender. Length of the head is variable. The greatest length is presented by the Western and Northern forms, frogs from the South have a muzzle considerably drawn out, and those from the East are distinguished by relative shortness of the muzzle. The length of the legs is variable.

Structure – Skin of upper parts are finely tubercular; under parts granular. The head is narrow and pointed. Nostrils much nearer to the tip of the muzzle than to the eye. Muzzle extends beyond the line of the jaw. Ear is small, only ¼ to ½ the diameter of the eye. Eyes are widely separated. Long and slender toes are scarcely webbed. The disks on the toes and fingers are very small.

Range – This member of the Hylidae has the widest distribution of any member of its group in North America. It has been reported from every state, with the exception of those of Northern New England, and Arizona, Northern New York, Michigan, California, Oregon, and Washington.

Calls – In the Southern States the Swamp Tree frog is heard singing in Late January and early February. The chorus of the Swamp Tree frog proceeds from ditches, marshes, and pools, especially low lands. They sing throughout many of the days, and of course during the night, until Late April, when the breeding season is over. The chorus is not that penetrating, it is soft, relatively low pitched, and is said to have a soothing sound that swells and recedes “like the waves of the seashore”. The Chorus is loud though, so it sounds as if a big frog were producing it. The call is given by the male only; and the inflated throat-pouch is large.

Characteristics - The Swamp tree frog stays in the Marshes throughout the summer and fall. We may sometimes hear the isolated call from marshy land during the hottest part of the summer, but on the whole, the species is rather silent except during the breeding season. These frogs seek refuge in the water when they are disturbed, but are very poor swimmers and soon crawl back to shore out on some miniature log. They are seldom seen after the spring moths owing to their minute size, their protective coloration, and their silence. They feed upon flies, beetles, and various insects that frequent marshy places.

The Swamp Tree Frog is slender and delicate in appearance. It has great power to change its color between light and dark shades. Each Swamp frog has its own distinctive pattern of color – we can scarcely find two alike among several dozens caught in the same location. What’s more, the given patterns in a single specimen may be wholly absent at one time, faintly outlined in another and prominently marked a third, all within the space of an hour.

The eggs are laid in shallow water in March or April. They are in small bunches of from 5 to 20 eggs and are attached to twigs and grasses in the water. The tadpoles both at the time of hatching and later, are nearly black in color. By April 20th most of the tadpoles have already budded and are about ½ inch long, are black in color, and are finely dotted with gold. Between May 26 and June 12, the final transformation takes place. The front legs appear, the toes furnished with the small disks. Since the feet are slightly webbed, the young frogs are poor swimmers and are drowned unless they have the opportunity to leave the water.

These young frogs are extremely delicate and shy. They look like full grown tree frogs, except that they are only ½ an inch in length. They usually hide under convenient leaves, sticks, and stones in the marsh.

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Description

Leaf frogs are a wonderfully adapted subgroup of neotropical hylid frogs. The red eyed tree frog has taken the pet industry by storm. Normally it has a green dorsum, but the shade of green is variable by temperature, other stresses, as well as the frog’s activity level. The dorsal color may be a dull olive green when the tree frog is cold or dry. A dark forest green may be assumed when the frog is resting, or if climatic conditions are ideal and the frog is actively foraging, it may be a brilliant leaf green. The flanks are blue barred with white or light yellow. The toes and fingers are orange. The belly is white. Red eyes have large and well developed toe pads and are adapt at both leaping and walking through their elevated homes. The irises are deep red and the pupils are vertically elliptical. This frog is now available in xanthic (creamy yellow with yellow eyes) and albino (yellow with red eyes) morphs. Red eyed tree frogs are nocturnal. Males produce their nonmelodious usually single- syllabled calls while sitting on pond edge vegetation.

Size and Lifespan

Adults range at 2 to 2 ½ inches. This very pretty tree frog may live for more than 10 years in captivity.

Natural Range

This tree frog, perhaps the most readily recognized tree frog in the world, ranges from Southern Mexico through Panama. There is a possibility that it occurs in Northern Columbia as well.

Captive Care
The caging for one or two red eyes can be as simple or complex as you choose. A ten gallon tank with a damp paper towel on the bottom and containing a small potted philodendron or schleffera will suffice, but a properly planted terrarium with a small waterfall or pond is more aesthetically pleasing. Red eyes are quite at home with a relatively dry substrate and a small dish of clean water. Keep the cage clean. A lack of absolute cleanliness will most assuredly transmit lethal pathogens to your leaf frog. Red eyes are nocturnal. They usually sleep soundly, scrunched down, eyes tightly closed, and feet drawn beneath them, by day, the frogs will awaken and hunt at night. They can hop, but often walk slowly in a hand over hand manner. In most cases a screen top that allows ventilation is more satisfactory than a glass top. Proper cage humidity should be maintained by misting the cage as necessary. Tanks of 29 – 100 galloon capacity lend themselves particularly well to naturalistic settings. Crickets, waxworms, butterworms, and most other insects are all avidly eaten. For adult frogs, the insects should be dusted with vitamin D3 calcium powder once every week.

Breeding

Red eyed tree frogs have a specialized reproductive biology. While being amplexed by a male, a female deposits her egg clusters on a leaf overhanging standing water. The red eyed female will often fold the leaf over the clutch, thus preventing some desiccation. The egg masses are contained within a gelatinous outer coating. The tensile strength of the gelatin deteriorates over time and at, or shortly following hatching, the tadpoles wriggle free and drop into the water where they continue to live their lives in what we call a typical manner. Red eyed tree frogs usually breed following a period of semi dormancy or dry season rest. Males vocalize in short, coarse, “chuckling” notes to draw females to the sites. Rising temperatures, increasing photoperiod, and higher humidity stimulate breeding. Clutches contain from 15 to about 60 eggs. One female can lay several clutches in one season. Normal room temperature is satisfactory for the incubation of the eggs of these tropical lowland frogs. Red eyed tree frog tadpoles will eat large quantities of good-quality fish food. The time period from hatching to metamorphoses is nearly two months. Feed them insects often in order to keep them healthy.

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Description:

This is one of the prettiest of the North American tree frogs. The dorsum is usually bright green but may vary from brown to dark forest green. The belly is white. Typically, an enamel white lateral stripe narrowly engaged both above and below by darker pigment is present. This may run from the snout to the groin, be foreshortened or, in some populations, be entirely absent. Tiny orange golden spots may be present of the dorsum. The skin is smooth. Males have a huge vocal sac and the call is an oft-repeated nasal “quonk”. Albinos of this frog are now available in the pet trade.

Size and Lifespan

A length of 2 ¼ inches (3.7 cm) is commonly attained. Females are more robust than the males and lack the vocal sac. Green treefrogs may live for more than six years in captivity.

Natural Range

This frog ranges southward from the Delmarva Peninsula and Southern Illinois to the Florida Keys and the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas.

Captive Care

Green tree frogs are very easily kept, but are quite difficult to cycle for breeding. Unless they are frightened, these are quiet frogs that will remain for long periods – sometimes for days- in one spot. In a terrarium they may be tightly huddled into a vertical corner. By an outdoor pond this may be on a cattail leaf or on other pond side vegetation. Because they are inactive, several green tree frogs can be maintained in a cage the size of a 10 gallon aquarium. Although, more spacious cages are better. Green tree frogs will thrive in greenhouse settings. Green tree frogs are found in humid regions of the country, yet they are seldom seen in the water, except during the breeding season. They do best in a humid, by not wet terrarium in which sturdy plants are growing upon which they can rest. Green tree frogs feed readily upon all types of insects. Crickets, wax worms, and butterworms are all avidly eaten. For adult frogs the insects should be dusted with a vitamin D3 powder once a week, and twice a week for baby green tree frogs.

Breeding

When attempting to cycle green tree frogs for breeding, allow the natural rhythms of the seasons to set the pace. Induce dormancy (or semidormanance) by reducing the temperature and humidity while maintaining a natural photoperiod during the winter months. After 75 to 90 days, again increase warmth and elevate the humidity while still retaining a naturally lengthened photoperiod. “Spring showers” can be provided by using a recirculation pump and a spray head for a couple of hours a night. Any water used must be chlorine free. Winters nighttime lows should be 55-65 degrees, and the humidity should be about 50 percent. The night lows of summer should be in the low to mid 70’s and the highs in the low to mid 80’s. The summer’s humidity should be from about 80 to 100 percent. Your green tree frog will eat less during the winter cooling. Once the summers elevated photoperiod, temperature and humidity begin; your tree frog will begin ovulation and spermatogenesis within a week or two. The male tree frogs will call while sitting on a leaf or while on the edge of the water receptacle. If the females respond and are amplexed, they may produce several hundred eggs in clusters of several dozen each. The tadpoles will hatch in three to five days. They have a big appetite and will eat good quality fish food. Within a few days after becoming froglets, they will have an insatiable appetite. Feed them heavily and frequently. Dust all of the food items with a good quality D3 calcium mixture at least twice weekly.

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