Red-eyed tree frog (Agalychnis callidryas)

Short answers

Red-eyed tree frog: How big does the enclosure need to be?

50 × 50 × 80 cm (tall) for a small group.

Red-eyed tree frog: What temperature does it need?

Daytime 24–28 °C, basking spot — (possibly a small area up to 30 °C), at night 20–24 °C (drop of 4–5 °C).

Red-eyed tree frog: Does it need UVB lighting?

UVB: Recommended (weak UVB 2.0).

Red-eyed tree frog: How long do they live?

Life expectancy: 5–10 years.

Red-eyed tree frog: Is it suitable for beginners?

Rather not – it is considered an intermediate species (difficulty: Intermediate).

Climate

Daytime temperature

24–28 °C

Night temperature

20–24 °C (drop of 4–5 °C)

Basking spot

— (possibly a small area up to 30 °C)

Humidity

~70–80 % by day, up to 100 % at night; good ventilation

UVB

Recommended (weak UVB 2.0)

Enclosure

Minimum size

50 × 50 × 80 cm (tall) for a small group

Substrate

Rainforest, large-leaved climbing plants, a water section

Feeding

Food

Crickets, house crickets, locusts, occasionally wax moths

Feeding interval

2–3× a week in the evening (nocturnal)

Key facts

Adult size

♀ up to ~7.7 cm, ♂ up to ~5.9 cm

Life expectancy

5–10 years

Origin

Central America, lowland rainforest

Protection status

CITES Appendix II / EU Annex B (since 2010), registration required

Brumation

None (a slight dry season to stimulate breeding)

Cohabitation

Group keeping is possible; nocturnal. Only put together animals of the same species and roughly the same size — smaller ones will otherwise be treated as food. Enough hides so that every animal can get out of the way.

Notes

A nocturnal climber; it needs broad-leaved sleeping plants. Permanent humidity above 75 % without ventilation encourages bacterial skin infections.

Do you keep this species?

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Related species

• Gliding leaf frog (Agalychnis spurrelli) – Intermediate
• Lemur leaf frog (Agalychnis lemur) – Expert
• Red-eyed tree frog (Litoria chloris) – Intermediate
• European tree frog (Hyla arborea) – Beginner to intermediate
• Fringed leaf frog (Cruziohyla craspedopus) – Expert
• Splendid leaf frog (Cruziohyla calcarifer) – Expert
• White's tree frog (Litoria caerulea) – Beginner
• Cuban tree frog (Osteopilus septentrionalis) – Beginner

All species in the care wiki →

What you need to start

To keep Red-eyed tree frog (Agalychnis callidryas) you typically need: a suitable enclosure (50 × 50 × 80 cm (tall) for a small group), substrate (Rainforest, large-leaved climbing plants, a water section), a heat source with a thermostat, UVB lighting, thermometer and hygrometer, a water dish and hides. You will find equipment in the Reptoria marketplace.