Taking Care Of Your White's Tree Frog
Habitat:
You should acquire an arboreal tank for your
frog. Most tree frogs will hide as high up
as they can get. These tanks are taller with
a smaller base area. It should be 20 gallon
or more. Any less would not be as desirable
for this type of frog, as they tend to get
big.
A proper substrate such as soil or bed-a-beast,
which is made of coconut husks, is important.
It is NOT recommend to use a substrate that
the frog may pick up and swallow while feeding.
These frogs are opened mouthed feeders (they
usually swallow whatever they pick up) so
anything like bark, gravel or soil with perlite
(the white rocks for drainage) is a poor
choice. If they swallow a large object that
is indigestible it can cause an impaction
or blockage and kill your frog. So, if you
choose soil remember....no verlite.
I recommend a naturalistic environment for
your frog. It not only is better for him
but it also looks better. Get some plants
like a pothos, or some types of bromeliads.
Your frog may be too heavy for certain plants,
so get some strong plants with thick stems.
Some plants you purchase at the store may
contain pesticides that can kill your frog.
I would wait 2 months after acquiring the
plant to add it to your vivarium. If you
use live plants you need to water them, and
some need certain lighting requirements.
Get some cork bark pieces. They can be propped
up or laid flat for your frog to hide.
You'll also need a water dish. Make sure
it is deep enough to cover your frog's back
and long enough for him to sprawl out. As
your frog grows you may need to get a larger
dish. It must be cleaned often and fresh
water should be given every day.
Handling:
An important fact about your frog is that
it absorbs it's moisture through it's skin.
Which also means it can absorb toxins, soaps,
lotions, perfumes, etc. Handle your frog
as little as possible. Only when necessary
for cleaning it's cage or applying medications.
I know they are cute and sometimes you can't
resist, but for the health of your frog please
avoid handling. And in those cases you need
to pick him up, make sure you have nothing
on your hands. Rinse hands well with water
but NO soap.Wet hands with bottled or filtered
water before you pick him up. Be gentle but
hold on, because he will try to squirm away!
Feeding:
Depending on the size of your frog will depend
on the size of the insect you will feed it.
Here are tips on feeding them crickets.
Froglets (about 1/2-1 1/2 inches) will generally
take 2-3 week old crickets. You can give
them 2 or 3 a day. A calcium supplement should
be sprinkled on the crickets before feeding
them to your frog.
A larger frog (1 1/2-3 inches) should be
fed 3-5 week old crickets every couple of
days. I would decrease amount of supplement,
maybe once or twice a week. An occasional
1-2 day old pinky mouse can be given. Some
frogs won't eat them. But avoid feeding mice
exclusively because it's a high fat diet
that is unhealthy for your frog.
A 3 inch or larger white's can be fed adult,
large crickets. I usually feed mine 4 crickets
3 times a week. But only use the calcium/vitamin
supplement once a week. Kidney disease may
be a result of over supplementation. An occasional
pinkie mouse is OK.
The supplementation is highly recommended.
Especially if you feed your frog only one
type of insect because it does not get all
the necessary nutrients it needs. Metabolic Bone Disease can be a result of lack of calcium. The
bones will become soft and the frog won't
be able to feed.
Don't allow your frog to get too fat. They
have "tympanic ridges" which look
like arches over their ear drums. These ridges
should not be covering their eardrums. If
they are, your frog needs to go on a diet!
If you cannot see the ridges you need to
feed him more. All White's should have round
contours but not in excess.
Most pet stores will carry crickets. Usually
they'll charge $1.25-$1.50 a dozen. You'll
need to buy crickets probably once a week.
I recommend keeping crickets in a separate
container and not adding them all into the
vivarium with your frog. Give them an empty
toilet paper roll for a hiding place, this
is also a good way to scoop them up. You
can feed them diced vegetables and an orange
slice for moisture (they will drown in a water dish).
Feeding them "gut load" the night
before feeding them to your frog will be
beneficial to your herp. Instead of buying crickets once a week you
can breed your own.
Other insects to feed your herp are grasshoppers,
earthworms, mealworms.
Daily Maintenance:
You should only give your frog filtered or
bottled water. The chlorine can kill your
frog. You can let tap water sit out for about
2 days, so the chlorine evaporates before
giving it to him, but bottled or filtered
is best. NO distilled!
Give your frog fresh water every day. If
you go every 2 days that's OK.
Observe your frog (without disturbing him)
to get to know it's habits so you can better
detect when something is wrong.
Frogs do shed quite often, so if you see
dried skin on the cage or frog, don't be
alarmed. And also, they eat it sometimes.....yuck!
Temperature and Humidity:
It's important to keep the temp between 75-85
degrees during the day and no lower than
65 at night.
Humidity should be moderate. You can use
the spray bottle to mist tank once a day if you live in a drier climate. If you live in a more humid climate mist the tank every few days. You don't want it too wet.
Make sure tank is well ventilated. If not,
it can harbor bacteria and mold which can
harm your frog.
Cleaning:
You should strive to have the cleanest vivarium
on the block. It is highly important for
these guys. (Remember, they absorb everything).
I would get a terrarium cleaner that is safe
for frogs. Some accessories can be boiled
to kill germs. I usually boil my cork bark.
You can use bleach but you must DILUTE (you'll want a 2% bleach solution) and rinse well!
Clean about once a week and whenever you
see excess wastes or film on glass. White's
tend to be messy! If you choose to use soil you can get a couple of earthworms to help keep the soil clean. Turning the soil once in a while is also reccommended.