Full Spectrum Exotics Red Eye Treefrog Care Sheet Red-eyed tree frogs are colorful, arboreal frogs native to the rainforests of Central America. Their bright colors have made them popular in the pet trade, and they can be located from many different sources including breeders, reptile dealers, reptile shows, and specialty pet stores. Their most apparent physical feature is their red eyes. Certain southern populations have burgundy-colored eyes, and have been labeled by pet dealers as ruby-eyed tree frogs. Their dorsum and legs are green, and the sides of their body are striped in blue and yellow. The tone and amount of blue or yellow varies between populations. In addition to their bright red eyes, they also have bright orange feet with large toepads that they use to climb with. The ventral side of red-eyed tree frogs is a solid white or crème color. They are a medium-sized tree frog, and adults usually range in size from 2 to 3 inches (5 cm to 7.6 cm), with males being smaller than females. Mature male frogs also call. Red-eyed tree frogs are completely nocturnal and are not active during the day unless they have been disturbed or happen to notice food. They are also commonly called red-eyed leaf frogs. Temperature: 76°F to 82°F daytime temperature, a few degrees cooler at night. Housing: Although Red-eyes do not need large terrariums, they do need tall terrariums. The ideal terrarium would he taller than it is long and wide. A tight-fitting screen top is necessary if you use an aquarium as your cage. To maintain proper humidity, you may want to cover a small part of the screen, but keep a substantial area open to the air. These are not territorial frogs, but they still should not be overcrowded. As a ruIe-of-thumb, house no more than a pair or trio for every ten gallons of volume in the enclosure. The enclosure for these frogs should be quite complex, allowing them to climb, hunt, and hide as they would in nature. This means incorporating plants (live are preferred), branches, cork bark. and a substantial water bowl into the decor. Several substrates will work, ranging from damp paper towels (stark, but inexpensive and easily cleaned) to soil mixtures. If setting up a naturalistic vivarium, use an inch-deep layer of gravel on the bottom for drainage. On top of this, place 2 or 3 inches of organic soil, topped off with an inch of sphagnum moss. Plants can be left in their pots and buried in the soil or taken out of the pots and planted directly in the vivarium. Choose broad-leaved varieties that will support the weight of the frogs and do well in the same environment. Some suggestions include snake plants (Sansevieria), many bromeliads, pothos ivy, some philodendrons, and creeping figs. The plants will require the use of full-spectrum bulbs, but the frogs themselves do not. Make sure there are numerous shaded places for the frogs to conceal themselves from the light. A weak red or blue heat lamp can be used to warm the terrarium. Watering the plants will help keep the tank humid, but regular misting will still be necessary to maintain the humidity in the proper range. Breeding Red-eyes requires a substantially different setup. If this aspect of the hobby interests you. please consult more detailed literature. Feeding: Crickets are the main staple diet along with mealworms and various other insects when available. Sometimes these frogs grow too accustomed to the same types of insects and may refuse to eat anything different. Dusting food items with a supplement (twice a week for adults and more often for young frogs) is good husbandry and will help keep them healthy. Using a food dish is helpful and the frogs will quickly learn to utilize it. Clean water must be provided and they will often soak their rear ends to absorb water. We appreciate your business and are always here to answer your questions. We believe our customer service BEGINS with the sale. We hope you and your new frog have a long, happy life together. Please keep us in mind for your future purchases. Thanks Lynn, Full Spectrum ExoticsEmail: sales@fullspectrumexotics.com