The American Green Tree Frog Care Cheat-Sheet
Bognookhonest amphibian care · bognook.com
American Green Tree Frog — Care Cheat-SheetBeginnerA hardy, inexpensive native — an easy, cheerful first tree frog.
📋 At a glance
- Tank
- Arboreal 18×18×24 in (2–4), branches + plants
- Temp
- 68–80°F day · cooler at night is fine
- Humidity
- 50–70% with a water dish + light misting
- Food
- Gut-loaded, calcium-dusted crickets (+ small roaches, flies)
- Lifespan
- 6+ years (some 9+)
✅ Cheap, hardy and forgiving — one of the easiest tree frogs to start with.
🛒 Before you buy
- A tall vivarium with branches and broad-leaved plants
- A shallow, clean water dish + a light mister
- A screen top for ventilation
- Calcium + D3 supplement
A healthy one: Bright green (can shift to grey) · alert at night · good weight · clear skin and eyes.
🚨 See a vet / act now if…
- Red, irritated belly or legs ("red-leg" — an emergency)
- Not eating, or weight loss
- Bloating, or sitting listless by day
- Gasping or laboured breathing
Cool them down, reduce stress, and contact an exotics vet — most issues are reversible if caught early.
⛔ Never
- A dry tank with no water dish
- Heat above ~85°F
- Frequent handling
🌿 Golden rules (all amphibians)
- Cycle the tank BEFORE the animal (ammonia = 0).
- Always dechlorinate tap water.
- Cool beats warm — most amphibians are cool/cold species.
- Look, don’t handle — their skin absorbs oils & soaps.
- Buy captive-bred, never wild-caught. Quarantine new arrivals.
- Never release a pet into the wild (it spreads disease).
- A real setup costs more than the animal — budget for it.
- When in doubt, ask — no shame in learning. 💚
