WHITES TREEFROG (Litoria caerulea)

FAMILY     Hylidae

DISTRIBUTION     The Whites tree frog is found throughout Australia and new guinea.

SIZE    The average size for an adult Whites tree frog is usually around 2-4.5ins. The males tend to be slightly smaller than the females.

LIFESPAN    In captivity the lifespan of the Whites tree fog is about 15 - 20 years.

INTRODUCTION     The Whites tree frog has to be by far the most popular kept tree frog in the hobby,  with their permanent smiling expression and their brilliant colour range they are definitely a must for a herp keeper at some stage of their interest in reptiles.

HOUSING    With the Whites tree frog being an arboreal species they need to have a tank with a little height to it. The minimum size for 1-2 pairs being at least 36 ins long x 18ins deep x 30ins high. There should be plenty of branches for climbing along with plenty of cork bark and plants. There should also be a large water dish or a part water area in the tank.

SUBSTRATE    The best substrate to use would be a moisture retentive one such as potting compost or forest bed topped with a layer of moss. You could also use coconut bark, cypress bed or jungle bed.

HEAT & LIGHT    The Whites tree frog require a low percentage uvb light so a repti sun 2.0% or 5.0% would be sufficient.

They should have a background temperature of around 22°c (72°f) and the hot side of the vivarium should be around 26°c (79°f). At night the temperatures can be allowed to drop to around 18°c (64°f). You can use a heat mat under the substrate for the heating and have it attached to a thermostat to prevent it over heating.

The Whites tree frog also needs to have a humid environment which can be created by spraying daily. The humidity level should be around 80%.

FEEDING    The Whites tree frog should be fed 2-3 times a week and given a variety of insects such as crickets, locusts, waxworms etc. They should be given in quantities of 3 -5 insects each depending on the size of the frog and should the insects should be dusted with a calcium supplement at least once a week for adult frogs and twice a week for baby frogs.

POTENTIAL PROBLEMS    If they are fed to much or too often or given a high fat diet they can become obese very easily, but if they are kept correctly and fed correctly they are a hardy and easy to keep species.