WHITES TREE FROG

White’s tree frogs have been known to live up to twenty years. It is not uncommon for a White’s  tree frog to live fifteen years in captivity. Due to predation in the wild their life span can be much shorter.

White’s originate from Indonesia and Australia. The Indonesian specie is somewhat larger and green. the Australian specie may reach the size of a baseball and adults will have a blue or aqua color and are much more colorful than the Indonesian specie.  Australian White’s have the ability to change color from a dark brown to a blue green.

White’s are  gentle creatures and show little fear of humans. White’s have been successfully bred in captivity and are now available as pets.

White’s are a nocturnal specie and may hide during the day and become active only after the sun has gone down. They will forage all night feeding on insects, grubs and mealworms, eating anything they can catch and fit into their mouths. They have large appetites and are voracious eaters. Fruit flies, small mealworms or any small feeder insect may be fed to the baby White’s. The baby White’s will eat anything that they can fit into their mouth.

White’s are arboreal and like to live in trees. Their feet are equipped with suction cups and can climb on smooth surfaces with ease.

White’s are cold blooded and rely on heat from their surroundings to regulate their body temperature. White’s should be kept warm and room temperature is fine but do not allow the temperature to fall below 70 degrees F.

A proper enclosure should include a minimum of a ten gallon tank. A rock should be placed in the center of the tank and the floor of the tank should be filled with a quarter inch of dechlorinated water at all times. Take care not to put the water level above the frogs head. It is not uncommon for a baby White to drown if the water is above their heads and they have difficulty climbing out of the water.  Silk or plastic foliage can be placed across the rock and into the water and most of the time you will see them perched on a leaf or a vine. Small branches can also be placed into the aquarium for climbing.

It is important to use dechlorinated water because frogs are very susceptible to pollutants in normal tape water such as chlorine. You may use tap water but let the tap water stand in bottles for a period of forty-eight hours to let the chlorine evaporate from the water. Only then may tap water be used. You may also choose to purchase bottled water. Do not use distilled water as the White’s do best in slightly alkaline water.

A screened lid should also be placed on top of the tank to prevent escape. Remember the White’s have suction cup feet and have the ability to climb right up the side of the tank and out if a protective screened lid is not placed on the top of the enclosure.

White’s can be maintained in plastic or glass vivariums receiving only bright indirect light from a window. Take care not to place the enclosure in direct sunlight as this may result in what is known as a cooked frog.

Sexing this specie is difficult at best. The males tend to be much smaller than the females. At the age of one year the males begin calling. When males are in breeding condition you will find  on the inside of the hand what is called a brown nuptial pad. When males are not in breeding condition the nuptial pads will be faint and hard to distinguish. The males use the nuptial pads to grip the females after mounting them from behind. This sexual embrace is what is called amplexus. Calling and sexual behavior are the best indicators for sexing this species.