Origins:  Green tree frogs grow wild in our southeastern states. Green tree frogs are the state amphibian of Louisiana.

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This strange colored guy is sitting atop pink insulating Styrofoam.

Appeal:  Green tree frogs (with their Kermit eyes) look good and are easy to care for.  Their shiny green skin (when on light colors) can turn to dark brown (when on dark colors).

Male Singers:  Male green tree frogs (without access to the classified ads) advertise their desire for an evening date by croaking very loudly – especially for their size.  Some consider this part of their appeal.  Some don’t.

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Green tree frog in brown phase (somewhat larger than life).  Note suction cup toes.

Size:  Adult green tree frogs max out at just over two inches.  This makes them ideal for the small amphibian terrarium.  Do not mix them with larger frogs like the Dumpys (which will eat them).

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Green tree frogs like to go right to the top of their cage.

Cage Tops:  Green tree frogs congregate at the very top of whatever you keep them in.  They will wedge themselves into the tiniest crevices.  Be careful you don’t squash them.  Also, if your cage is not totally enclosed, they will escape.

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Plastic plants and waterfall spruce up this green tree frog habitat.. 

Cage Decor:  Green tree frogs like to climb on plant leaves.  Vines draped from the cage top add to their climbing areas.

Cage Floor:  Well-filtered water keeps them humid.  Add an aquarium heater if you need more heat.  Dirty water causes all kinds of problems.  Frequent cage cleanings are always welcome.  They smear “frog stuff” all over their glass.

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You need to clean the "stuff" off green tree frog walls on a regular basis. 

Cage Walls:  Suction cups on their little toes enable them to shinny up glass walls.  In the process, they leave little trails of slime and digested food on the walls of your glass container.  Wipe these off frequently with a wet algae pad.  If you go too long between cleanings, you need a razor blade scraper.  That stuff sticks like super glue.

Foods:  #1 food for green tree frogs -- live house flies.  #2 food – live crickets.  Since crickets drown unbelievably easy, provide plenty of “island areas” for your crickets.

Supplements:  Since food crickets often get wet and rinse themselves free of calcium dust, you’ll  get better results by “gut loading” -- feeding your food crickets a nutritious diet.

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Not sure the top one is a green tree frog.  You can't always tell by color.

Mixers:  Green tree frogs congregate well with their own kind.  Beware of overcrowding. They also mix well with other similar sized species with the same basic requirements.  Good cage mates include the smaller newts, tadpoles, anoles, fire-bellied toads, and snails.

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Plenty large enough to spawn.

Spawning:  If you’ve kept your green tree frogs until next spring, you’re ready to spawn them.  Keep them in their own tank with four to six inches of water.  Feed them a variety of live insects.  Once they spawn, remove the parents to protect the eggs.

Tadpoles:  Feed the babies powder-fine fish food or finely crumpled turtle sticks.  They start turning into frogs in four to six weeks.  The parents will eat the smaller froglets. 

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Ventral view of a "happy frog."                    Dorsal view of a "sulking frog."

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A lot of cute in a package the size of your first thumb joint.

Summary:  You can’t beat these green tree frogs as small terrarium inhabitants.  They mix very well with anoles.  If you find an Iowa grey tree frog, the same info applies.  LA

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