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White-Lipped Treefrog
(Litoria infratfrenata)
Habitat:
Rainforest Diet:
Insectivorous Adult Size:
3.5-5 inches
Lifespan: 10 years or
more Native To:
Australia, New Guinea, and
Indonesia |
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Did
You Know:
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The White-Lipped Treefrog is
the world’s largest
treefrog; some specimens
have
reached six inches. Females
of this species are larger
than males.
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When disturbed, a
White-Lipped Treefrog will
often make a meow-like
sound.
Ironically, its mating call
is suggestive of a dog
barking.
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Male White-Lipped treefrogs
will wrestle one another to
assert their dominance.
The material below is a general
guideline, and is not intended
to serve as your sole source of
pet care information. Visit a
veterinarian trained in caring
for reptiles and consult a broad
range of literature to ensure
that your pet receives adequate
care.
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What
You Should Know About
White-Lipped Treefrog |
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The Basics: |
The White-Lipped
Treefrog is named for
the distinctive cream or
white stripe that runs
along its lower lip.
Other than that, this
frog is usually bright
green, but it can change
colors to reddish brown,
olive, deeper greens and
even pink. The underside
of the frog is white and
its skin is brown. Its
skin also is covered by
glandular secretions
that keep it moist and
deter predators. The
hind feet of the
White-Lipped Treefrog
are webbed and its front
feet are partially
webbed. With proper
care, this large
nocturnal frog can live
very long in captivity,
which has helped make it
popular as a pet. In
nature, it is found in a
wide range of
environments. Females
reach a greater size
than males. These
sociable frogs do well
in groups. |
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Enclosure:
They Need
Vertically Oriented
Tank: |
Active arboreal (tree
climbing) amphibians,
White-Lipped Treefrogs
need an enclosure that
offers ample
opportunities to climb.
Their enclosures should
have more height than
width, with 30-gallon
aquarium tanks being the
minimal acceptable size
for two adults, and
40-gallons the minimal
for four adults. A
secure screen top should
be a part of every
enclosure to prevent
escapes and provide
ventilation. Since these
are active frogs with
large appetites, they
will produce an above
average amount of waste,
so enclosures and
furnishings that can be
cleaned easily should be
selected. Climbing
branches and hiding
areas are essential to
the well-being of the
White-Lipped Treefrog.
Branches should be as
wide as the diameter of
the frog’s body. Cork
and logs can also be
used to create secluded
areas, as can live or
artificial plants.
Monstera, philodendron
and other nontoxic
sturdy broad-leafed
potted
plants are recommended,
since they can support a
large White-Lipped
Treefrog. Plants
acquired from nurseries
must be cleaned and
re-soiled to remove
toxic fertilizers. Take
potted plants out of the
enclosure whenever it is
cleaned; their leaves
should be washed with
chlorine-free
water, since they tend
to collect waste. Also
remove waste from the
topsoil of potted
plants. The top two
inches of this soil
should be replaced
monthly. Be sure to
guard against the frog
rubbing against the
bottom of the enclosure
(see “Look Out For This”
below). |
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Substrate:
Since They
Aren't Neat, Select An
Easy To Clean Material: |
White-Lipped Treefrogs
can make a mess, so it’s
a good idea to select a
disposable substrate
such as unprinted paper,
or one that is easily
cleaned. Natural bark,
coconut fiber or moss
substrates are also
acceptable. Avoid
aromatic wood substrates
since they can cause
serious and even fatal
health risks. Substrates
must be inspected daily,
so soiled material
can be removed. Reptile
carpet substrate should
not be used with
White-Lipped Treefrogs,
since its rough surface
can irritate a frog’s
skin. |
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Temperature:
They Must
Be Kept Warm: |
A White-Lipped Treefrog
likes things a little
warmer than many other
treefrogs. Its enclosure
should be 80-85º
Fahrenheit during the
day and in the 70s at
night. However, care
should be taken not to
overheat the
enclosure. Place heat
source over one side of
the enclosure rather
than the middle, since
this will allow the frog
to move to regulate body
temperature. Be sure
that climbing branches
at different heights
cover the width of the
tank, since this will
also aid in providing
the frog with a thermal
gradient. Care must be
taken when using
external lamps not to
overheat the enclosure.
Never guess the
temperature. Position
two thermometers in the
enclosure at branch
level where the frog
spends most of its time,
one thermometer should
be placed near the heat
source, and the other in
a cooler section of the
tank.
Important - see the
Note About Day/Night
Light Cycles and Heating
below. |
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Lighting:
UVB Exposure
Is Essential To Their
Health: |
A 12-hour on/off light
cycle is essential to
the health of
White-Lipped Treefrogs.
Too much light exposure
will be
detrimental to the
well-being of these
nocturnal animals.
Although they are
nocturnal, White-Lipped Treefrogs
must be exposed to UVB
rays on a daily basis.
This exposure should
be provided through the
use of a fluorescent
lamp designed
specifically for a
terrarium that emits
light in the 300-400nm
range. The fluorescent
bulb should be replaced
every
six months. Glass blocks
out UVB light, so
overhead light sources
should be kept behind a
wire mesh cover, not a
glass or acrylic tank
top. White-Lipped
Treefrogs should never
be exposed to direct
sunlight, since this
will result in
overheating and
dehydration.
Important - see the
Note About Day/Night
Light Cycles and Heating
below. |
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Note About Day/Night
Light Cycles and Heating: |
This pet,
must have distinct day and night periods
in their enclosure to maintain their
biological rhythms. (See the lighting
entry above for the specific length of
this animal’s day/night cycle.)
The day period must be light; and night
must be dark. A timer should be
used to set day/night periods. If a heat
source is required to maintain correct
nighttime temperatures, use heat mats or
strips mounted below or on the side of
the tank, infrared heat lamps, ceramic
heat emitters, or a combination of these
products. This will allow the enclosure
to be heated while remaining dark.
Follow directions carefully with all
products. If ceramic heat emitters are
used, always choose fixtures with
porcelain or ceramic sockets and to
protect against fires do not place them
by dry wood or flammable fabrics.
Ceramic heat emitters must be kept out
of the reach of children and all pets,
including dogs and cats. |
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Diet:
A Variety of Insects
Suits Them: |
White-Lipped
Treefrogs are voracious
eaters who
will accept a wide
variety of insects.
Commercially available
crickets, roaches, super
mealworms, trevo-worms
and flies are acceptable
feeders. Insects should
be gut loaded
(fed a nutrition rich
diet and dusted with
supplement) for 48 hours
before being offered. A
pinkie mouse can be
offered to a
White-Lipped Treefrog
once a month, but not
more often, because of
its high fat content.
Feed White-Lipped
Treefrogs every other
day, offering 18-24
crickets per meal. About
6 crickets every day to
every other day for
juveniles. Use common
sense and body
condition/weight of the
individual frog to
determine feeding
schedule. Important --
It is necessary to
provide calcium and
vitamin supplements as
part of the diet. Please
read the supplement
section below: |
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A
Note About Gut Loading |
Feeding crickets a
nutritious diet will
pass on vital nutrients
to your reptile. When
reptiles eat these
insects they are able to
absorb the nutrients.
This is why it is
important to gut load
crickets at least 48
hours before offering
them to a reptile.
Commercial cricket foods
provide a convenient way
to gut load crickets.
(Always follow
manufacturer’s
directions.) Crickets
should also be provided
with water, preferably
in the form of oranges
or a commercial water
gel product designed
specifically to hydrate
feeder insects. Putting
a shallow dish of water
in the cricket holding
tank will result in
insects drowning and
promote the spread of
bacteria.
You can also create your
own gut-loading formula.
Our vet recommends a mix
of ground up dog food,
cereal and fresh greens
with oranges or a
commercial gel for
water. |
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Supplements: |
Dust insects with
calcium supplement and
vitamin supplements. As
a rule, a growing
juvenile's food should
be dusted more often
than an adult's. Follow
product label directions
when applying
supplements, and avoid
over-supplementing food.
Too much calcium
can contribute to
calcification and
indirectly to gout. The
following is a possible
supplementing schedule
for this pet.
Our veterinarian
recommends dusting
insects with a plain
calcium supplement every
other feeding to every
feeding. (Avoid using a
calcium supplement with
added phosphorous,
unless specifically
directed by your
veterinarian, since this
can promote kidney
disease.) Our
veterinarian also
recommends dusting
insects with a D3
supplement once a week
and a vitamin supplement
two times a month. This
is only one
recommendation, consult
your veterinarian for
specific directions on
supplementing your pet’s
food, since there are
many variables that go
into determining the
best supplementing
regimen for a given
animal.
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A
NOTE ABOUT WATER: |
All water given to this
pet for drinking, as
well as water used for
misting, soaking or
bathing must be 100%
free of chlorine and
heavy metals. (Not all
home water filtration
systems remove 100% of
the chlorine and heavy
metals from tap water,
so check your system's
specifications before
using it to filter water
for your pet.) We
recommend that you use
unflavored bottled
drinking water or
bottled natural spring
water and never
untreated tap water. If
tap water is used, you
should treat it with a
dechlorinating treatment.
Do not use distilled
water, which can cause
severe medical problems,
since it lacks minerals
that are essential to
important body functions |
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Water
& Humidity: |
Like all frogs,
White-Lipped Treefrogs
require a relatively
high level of humidity,
around 50-percent. This
can be maintained by
misting the frog daily
with chlorine free water
and keeping a large bowl
of clean, fresh filtered
water free of chlorine
and heavy metals in the
enclosure. Use a
hygrometer to measure
humidity levels inside
the enclosure. Part of
the enclosure should be
kept dry to provide a
drying area for the
frog. The water in this
bowl should be shallow.
Make sure that the water
bowl affords the frog
with an easy “escape
route.” Maintaining
water levels well below
the rim of the
bowl will minimize
spillage to keep the
enclosure dryer and more
sanitary. White-Lipped
frogs will visit their
water bowls several
times a day to
re-hydrate themselves. |
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How to Handle an White-Lipped
Treefrog:
Like all amphibians,
White-Lipped Treefrogs are meant
to be observed and appreciated,
rather than handled and petted.
Frogs breathe through their
moist delicate skin, and this
important organ can be damaged
when rubbed against and handled.
Being relatively
skittish creatures, White-Lipped
Treefrogs can be especially
difficult to handle. When it
is necessary to lift a
White-Lipped Treefrog, do so
with great care. Wearing
moistened
exam gloves, grasp the animal
firmly but gently around the
waist, joining your thumb and
forefinger around its chest.
Always wash your hands, and
rinse them thoroughly before
touching a White-Lipped
Treefrog. The skin of these
frogs will absorb residual
traces of
soap or perfume left on a hand.
You should also wash your hands
thoroughly after
handling any frog.
Bright Idea:
Keep the water level in a
treefrog’s bowl just deep
enough to cover the front legs
when folded at rest. This will
prevent
drowning if the frog falls
asleep in the water. Most
treefrogs are not
good swimmers, so they need a
shallow water bowl with an easy
exit.
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Look Out For This:
White-Lipped Treefrogs tend to
be slightly skittish, which
means that
they can on occasion make a mess
of their enclosures. Some
specimens will also rub their
noses against the bottom of
their
enclosures. This can be
discouraged by placing colored
paper on the
other side of the enclosure
glass in the area where they
rub.
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Recommended
White-Lipped Treefrog Supplies:
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A secure vertically
oriented enclosure
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Sturdy climbing branches
and perches
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Foliage in the form of
live plants or
artificial plants
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A large but shallow
water dish
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A suitable substrate
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A UVB fluorescent light
source
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Two thermometers
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A hygrometer
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A misting bottle
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