White's Tree Frog

White’s Tree Frog is a resilient amphibian with an average length of 4 inches. They are flabby and rotund in appearance, with the female species being slightly longer. They are habitants of N. E. Australia, New Guinea, Indonesia and Torres Strait. Some scholars believe that they are natives of South America and have migrated to Australia thousands of years ago. Today they are prolific in all types of habitats ranging from small ponds, pools and tanks.

These frogs are calm, tame and nocturnal and are not afraid of humans. Their life span stretches up to 20 years under captivity. The green colored Tree Frogs have a smooth shiny waxy skin. The ventral surface is milky white but rough in texture. The male frogs have a grayish crinkled vocal sac under their throat region. The females have a white patch. They have huge toe pads completely webbed which allow them to climb trees but webbing between fingers is partial.

Their eyes have horizontal pupils and their most distinct feature is a fatty ridge over their eyes. They have folds on their body surface which accounts for their obese look. At times they change their color to brown with white dots all over their body. High humidity but low temperature gives a darker shade to the frogs. Where as higher temperature with less humidity gives a bluish tinge and a brighter appearance to the frogs’ skin. This color changing from light blue to emerald green to grey as well as their huge size are unique features which distinguishes the species.

The White Tree Frog is an insectivore and catches insects such as cockroaches, moth, beetle and locusts, etc. through its tongue. They eat through out the day which accounts for their obesity. The male species emit croaks round the year but this habit is missing in the females. During the dry season, the amphibians cover their bodies with sloughed epidermis and burrow themselves to keep their skin moist. The species prefer humid forested surrounding but can acclimatize themselves in drier environment. Those found in arid areas secrete a waxy substance which allows them to retain moisture.

The pet owners need to install these amphibians in arboreal or terrestrial tanks. Such tanks are sizeable which can hold up to 25 gallons of water. The arboreal tanks are more suitable because high tree branches and leaves could be placed in them which are preferred by these frogs. These tanks are of two feet in height, hexagon/pentagon shaped and with a small base. The terrestrial tanks are shorter in height but have a larger base area. Such tanks should be well ventilated with moderate humidity while the base needs to be covered with fine pine bark. The White Tree Frogs prefer to relax and spread themselves on the water dishes (6 o 8 inches in width) which are placed strategically in the tanks.

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