Frequently- and Not-Yet-Asked Questions

that are reasonably easy to answer

Are they loud?

Female gray tree frogs are silent. Males can be hilariously loud for such a small creature, but I doubt your neighbors will hear them through the walls. The calls are fairly short in duration, and they generally are only repeated two to three times in a short spurt. You might get a spurt of calling once or twice during the day. I’ve found them more hilarious than anything. example 1

How much are you charging?

I am not charging anything for these guys; I’m not a breeder, and I’m not selling them. However, it’s generally regarded as a bad idea to give animals away for free — they aren’t disposable, and shouldn’t be treated as such — so I’m asking adopters to make a donation to either the NC Herpetological Society or NC Zoo’s Frog Conservation Programs. I’m not a member of nor direct beneficiary of either organization.

What do they eat?

Bugs! Given the size of these frogs, bugs 3/8″ or smaller are recommended. Unfortunately, the small crickets at Petco and Petsmart are sometimes not small enough. You can either mail-order crickets or fruit flies. Sometimes Petco and Petsmart have fruit flies, but I haven’t found that to be a dependable supply.

They also need vitamin supplementation. You can Google to learn about that.

How big a vivarium do they need?

Since these are tree frogs, I’m recommending a vivarium at least 18″ high.

Do they need a heat lamp?

No. Please do not use a heat lamp; it will probably be bad for your plants. These frogs are not desert animals; they are made for the cool forest land.

What kind of lighting do I need?

If you can get a UVB lamp – tropical, not desert – that would be great for them. I usually use a not-that-strong grow light bulb in a Fluker’s lamp fixture resting on top of the vivarium, and substitute in a UVB bulb sometimes. The frogs enjoy basking in the mild warmth of the bulb, but the main focus of my bulb selection is the health of the plants.