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Caresheet: American Green Tree Frog (Hyla cinerea)

Common Name: American Green Tree Frog.

Scientific Name: Hyla cinerea.

Distribution: Delaware south along the coast into Florida and west to Texas, north through central Arkansas and western Tennessee to Illinois.

Size: 1.25" - 2.25"

Sexing: The males of this species will make a loud quacking call, this is the most reliable way of sexing. The males also tend to have darker skin on the throat. Females have a more rounded body shape.

Colouration: The markings of these frogs can vary, the majority have a golden cream stripe running down the side of the body, but in some individuals this line may be replaced with golden yellow spots. Albino variants are now common in the American pet trade and occasionally rare axanthic blue specimens are found in the wild, these are currently being bred to create a blue strain for the pet trade. In certain areas of their wild distribution they will cross breed with the Barking Tree Frog (Hyla gratiosa).

Requirements: These small agile frogs can jump over a large distance and so require a fairly large terrarium. A 15-gallon tank would be adequate for a group of 6 adults. They require a well-planted woodland type set-up with a substrate of bark chips, topsoil or moss. Furnishings such as logs, cork bark and sturdy leafed plants can be arranged to provide a number of climbing, perching and hiding places. A small water bowl (no deeper than the frog's height at rest) must be provided with clean de-chlorinated or spring water. The water will need to be changed daily to avoid the build up of ammonia and bacteria in the water whilst changing the water it is a good idea to visually inspect the tank and remove, clean and replace any soiled items. The tank will need to be heated to a daytime temperature of 25°C with a drop at night to 20°C this can be done with an under-tank heat-mat controlled by a thermostat. It is not advisable to use spot / heat lamps with amphibians and so a separate light source should be provided by the means of a fluorescent UVB tube. Once every two-three weeks the tank and its contents should be completely cleaned and sterilised using an amphibian / reptile friendly disinfectant.

Feeding: For adults a mixture of suitably sized insects including crickets, mini-mealworm, flies, waxworm, small locust, caterpillars and moths should be fed every two-three days. A calcium and vitamin supplement should be used once a week. Young frogs will take hatchling crickets and fruitflies, these should be fed every day and a calcium and vitamin supplement used two-three times a week.