White's Tree Frog - Care Sheet

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White’s “Dumpy” Tree Frog: Litoria caerulea
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A White’s Tree Frog is a popular choice for the beginner who is interested in keeping exotic pets. The tree frog is relatively easy to care for, as far as exotic pets go. Lovably rotund (their large skin folds of fatty material have led to the nickname dumpy tree frog), they are also quite calm and comfortable around humans. The following information can help you decide if a White’s Tree Frog is right for you.
 
Basic Info
Age: 16 years, though many have lived longer
Size: 3-4.5 inches, although some females can grow to 5 inches.
 
Behavior
Tree frogs are mostly nocturnal when they will forage for food. They will mostly sit still during the day. They are calm animals, although when threatened they can emit an ear-piercing call. Males will call year-round, so it may be something you need to familiarize yourself with before choosing to take one home. White’s tree frogs are comfortable around humans, with many turning up around people’s homes. 
 
Diet
White’s tree frogs can grow quite large because they have such a voracious appetite. They will eat most things that you put in front of them. If you are worried about obesity in your frog, it will be important to control your frog’s food intake. An adult tree frog should be fed three or four large crickets or similar sized insect twice a week. Once a month you can substitute a cricket for large earthworms or night crawlers. The crickets should be dusted with a calcium powder, and once a week use a multi-vitamin powder. 
 
Environment & Caging
For one frog (they do just fine on their own), you should provide your frog with a tall aquarium (in the range of 15-20 gallons). It is important for your frog’s enclosure to have:

• Plenty of places to perch throughout the enclosure. Place the perches horizontally throughout the cage. They should be as wide as the frog’s body. 
• A tight-fitting screen top that will provide good ventilation while also making it difficult to escape.
• Plants with branches and leaves, such as snake plants, Sansevieria, philodendron, or Monstera.
• A basking area that does not get warmer than 90ºF. Make sure the nighttime temperature does not get lower than 65ºF.
• A ceramic heat emitter or an under-the-tank heating pad can be used to control the temperature at night. 
• Enough light for a 12-hour day and 12-hour night cycle.
• An ultraviolet-B emitting bulb
• Chlorine and chloramine-free water: This can include bottled spring water or dechlorinated tap water. Your frog should always have plenty of fresh, clean water available. Place rocks in the water so your frog does not drown. Avoid distilled water.
• Line the bottom of the cage with brown paper towels, butcher paper or artificial grass with sealed edges. Be careful with the use of mulch, because your frog could be tempted to eat it. 

 
Veterinary & Preventive Care
We recommend a physical examination every 6-12 months, where we can perform a fecal examination, order blood work if necessary, and look for potential warning signs of other serious illnesses. Be on the lookout for the following health issues:

• Loose stool or little to no stool production
• Cloudy eyes
• Difficulty breathing
• Swelling
• Discoloration of the skin

 
A note on obesity: Your tree frog will have arches above its eardrums. If they grow and start to roll over the eardrums, speak with a vet about putting your frog on a diet. Some frogs have gotten so large where these arches have covered their eyes. We can give you the information you need to get your frog back to a more happy, healthy state.