# Keeping Gray Tree Frogs - Hyla sp.



## -Sarah- (Oct 14, 2007)

While cleaning out the things we have stored under our deck, I came across a _Hyla sp_. gray tree frog. I'm not sure whether it's an actual Grey Tree Frog (_Hyla versicolor_) or a Cope's Tree Frog (_Hyla chrysoscelis_), but I found out that their habitat has the same requirements. I was curious to see if anyone here keeps tree frogs, and how they have their tanks set up. 

I'd really love to keep this little frog  I have it in a temporary terrarium consisting of a large, square container (with plenty of climbing room and plenty of holes), smooth pebbles on one side to provide some dry area and filled the other half with lukewarm water. There's also a fake plant in there for it to climb on. I fed it a large cricket already which it gulped up in less than 5 seconds, so it must have been hungry. I know the container is not big enough for permanent housing, so I'd love any suggestions on how I can keep this little one healthy and happy. Thanks!

-Sarah


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## Jmugleston (Oct 14, 2007)

*Basic guidelines for care:*

They are really simple. Just give them ample climbing area. Hiding spots (leaf cover/ bamboo shoots/ PVC pipe/ etc). A large water dish with clean water. Moist substrate (coco fiber works well). And keep the termperature in the upper 60s to upper 70s. Covering the screen lid with some saran wrap can help to keep humidity high if that is  a problem. Hope this helps to get you started.
Joey


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## Galapoheros (Oct 15, 2007)

I haven't kept tree frogs in a long time.  I've caught and kept several Grays over the years though.  I always use rainwater for the animals I keep.  Sorry I don't have a setup to post.  It's getting close to hibernation time, you going to put it in a cool spot for some months?  A story I have that has to do with Grays was when I was catching many one Spring to feed some snakes.  I didn't like that because tree frogs are cool but, it was a last option at the time.  I would put the frogs in the fridge to slow down their metabolism.  One day I wasn't paying attention and put them in the freezer.  I didn't see the container the next day in the fridge and looked in the freezer ...frozen solid.  That's when I found out they can totally freeze and thaw out with no problems.  I couldn't believe it, I read something about it later.


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## beetleman (Oct 15, 2007)

ive had them aswell,excellent captives:clap: woodland setup works great for them,and if ya got a male? prepare yourself for some serious shrilling when they hear the water running(faucet,shower etc) oh boy i used to keep several sp. of frogs(tree,terrestrial,aquatic) and when all of the males were calling.....it sounded like a rock concert in my apartment grey trf are very awesome little frogs,good luck


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## -Sarah- (Oct 15, 2007)

Thanks for all the great help, everyone!

I'm pretty sure I have a female (no black patch on the throat), so thankfully, there shouldn't be any noise!  I might just not heat the terrarium to simulate hibernation since my room feels like an ice box in the winter. My room is probably 63-65 in the winter, and it feels cold in there (hah, that's why I have an electric blanket!) so I'm thinking she will probably be fine. However.... If I choose not to simulate hibernation, will that cause problems for the frog? I thought I read that you can choose whether or not to hibernate them, but I'm not sure if that would throw their systems out of whack.

Galapoheros, did they actually survive the freezer?? Wow, if they did then that's amazing! Unfortunately the only substrate I have is the kind I use for my tarantulas: peat moss :8o would that work if I just misted in there occasionally? I'm definitely going to provide a few hides for her as soon as I can. I've always wanted a tree frog and now that I finally have one I'm so excited  I'll be posting pictures of her in her new habitat as soon as possible!

-Sarah


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## Galapoheros (Oct 15, 2007)

Yeah!  They survived!  I had about 6 or 7 in a deli container and they spent the night in the freezer.  I took them out thinking they were goners.  Then I saw a toe move as they were thawing out ...I was really surprised!  No visual damage at all!  Grays and Greens along with a few others are cool native US tree frogs, good luck.


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## Ewok (Oct 15, 2007)

What, no pictures of the frog? Sarah? I am disapointed;P


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## Ewok (Oct 15, 2007)

beetleman said:


> ive had them aswell,excellent captives:clap: woodland setup works great for them,and if ya got a male? prepare yourself for some serious shrilling when they hear the water running(faucet,shower etc) oh boy i used to keep several sp. of frogs(tree,terrestrial,aquatic) and when all of the males were calling.....it sounded like a rock concert in my apartment grey trf are very awesome little frogs,good luck


what is really crazy, is when a tree frogs hide inside rain gutters and make croaking sounds lol


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## -Sarah- (Oct 16, 2007)

Wow, that's amazing that they survived! I wouldn't have thought that they could freeze solid - you would think that would cause their heart to stop permanently! I've been checking on her and she's been doing good, I threw another cricket in there to see if she'll eat it. I still don't have everything I need to re-vamp her 'pad' (yeah I know. Frog, pad. It was corny) 

Nathan - okay okay, here's a picture of the frog. Sheesh! ;P Sorry it's not the best photo I could have taken guys, she was being kind of jumpy yesterday with the camera flash (and she gets overly excited every time I have the cover off the container) so rather than have her get out, I just shot through the plastic. I'll have to get some better ones when I get her terrarium set up properly!

-Sarah


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## Ewok (Oct 17, 2007)

haha thanks Sarah   that is a cool tree frog. I used to catch Cuban Tree frogs,i've found some pretty large ones before.


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## KUJordan (Oct 17, 2007)

definitely looks like a true gray to me.  Copes usually in my experience have a bright green back and are less mottled looking than grays.  don't take that for an absolute though.  but like everyone has said, they are very easy to keep.  i have one gray and two greens in the same ExoTerra tank and they are eating machines!  my male green barks quite often, my big adult female green NEVER is hiding and is always sitting near the water, and the little gray will eat crickets right off the palm of my hand!  i'm really starting to see personality in all three of them. they are very cool indeed.


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## -Sarah- (Oct 17, 2007)

Yeah, she's a cutie!  In a way I'm glad I don't have a male, that would drive everybody else completely nuts. It _would_ be funny, though. That would be awesome if I could find some green tree frogs to keep her company. Unfortunately, one is enough... for now (Hah.. That is, until I find some more space) KUJordan, how many crickets a week do you feed your frogs? I'm trying to get a rough estimate of how many I should feed my own. I bought thirty crickets at the pet store yesterday, so that ought to hold her over for a little while 

-Sarah


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## beetleman (Oct 17, 2007)

awww she is cute! looks like she's posing for the picture.


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## -Sarah- (Oct 17, 2007)

There was a really good shot of her that I just missed getting :wall: She was watching me type on the computer and she hopped over to the side that was closest to me. She slowly stuck a leg up and put it on the side of the container (all of her toes were spread out like 'fingers'), it's almost as if she were saying "Come on, let me out of here! I'll be good!"  Yeah right, the last time I took her out she got excited and peed all over me. Thankfully I had her over a sink when she decided to do that.

-Sarah


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## beetleman (Oct 17, 2007)

yeah,they do like pee when they get "pissed" or scared one time i was showing some friends my frog collection,that i had years back,and i would always handle my whites(dumpy)treefrogs cause they were so mellow,but one of my friends was handling one,i told her never have it's butt pointing at your face,well she found out why:clap:  that dumpy squirted her like there was no tomorrow! i guess it got alittle startled and man did she flip out"ahhhhhhh it peed all over meeeeee"!!! hee  hee it was great though,i told her not to hold it that way,and she said "naa it won't,it's not gonna do that no way" i warned her,after that she wouldn't go near any of my frogs saying "they are all piss bags" so always handle them w/their front facing you,you'll be glad ya did:drool:


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## -Sarah- (Oct 17, 2007)

beetleman said:


> yeah,they do like pee when they get "pissed" or scared one time i was showing some friends my frog collection,that i had years back,and i would always handle my whites(dumpy)treefrogs cause they were so mellow,but one of my friends was handling one,i told her never have it's butt pointing at your face,well she found out why:clap:  that dumpy squirted her like there was no tomorrow! i guess it got alittle startled and man did she flip out"ahhhhhhh it peed all over meeeeee"!!! hee  hee it was great though,i told her not to hold it that way,and she said "naa it won't,it's not gonna do that no way" i warned her,after that she wouldn't go near any of my frogs saying "they are all piss bags" so always handle them w/their front facing you,you'll be glad ya did:drool:


Oh man, I feel sorry for her!!  I'd hate to have that happen! Thanks for the advice, though so a newbie won't find that out the hard way  (If I ever have to handle her I'll make sure to keep that particular end away from my face) I've always wanted to get a White's Tree Frog, they're so chubby and adorable and they just make you want to go "AWWW!!!"  

-Sarah


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## beetleman (Oct 17, 2007)

exactly, they have that face everybody loves and you should hear a male dumpy call it sounds like an oldman choking/coughing.really bizzarr


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## -Sarah- (Oct 18, 2007)

beetleman said:


> exactly, they have that face everybody loves and you should hear a male dumpy call it sounds like an oldman choking/coughing.really bizzarr



Wow, that's pretty weird  It must be funny to hear, though. How long do those types of tree frogs live? I'd love to get one of them sometime, maybe after I get my own place I'll have an extra room to fill up with tanks and terrariums :clap: 

-Sarah


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## beetleman (Oct 18, 2007)

Sarah_88 said:


> Wow, that's pretty weird  It must be funny to hear, though. How long do those types of tree frogs live? I'd love to get one of them sometime, maybe after I get my own place I'll have an extra room to fill up with tanks and terrariums :clap:
> 
> -Sarah


dumpys can live 10yrs maybe more! which makes them excellent pets:clap: when i had all of my frogs,i'd be sleeping at night and in another room where they all were,all of the males(diff.sp)would be calling and i would start cracking up,laughing like crazy sometimes,because of all the different sounds they were making,when 1 starts........they all join in yeah, dumpys are great you should definitely get some someday.


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## -Sarah- (Oct 18, 2007)

beetleman said:


> dumpys can live 10yrs maybe more! which makes them excellent pets:clap: when i had all of my frogs,i'd be sleeping at night and in another room where they all were,all of the males(diff.sp)would be calling and i would start cracking up,laughing like crazy sometimes,because of all the different sounds they were making,when 1 starts........they all join in yeah, dumpys are great you should definitely get some someday.



Wow, ten years is pretty long for a frog, I'd think!  I'd have to make sure I got a female, because who knows what might happen if I got a male. He'd probably end up driving me nuts with all the noise - and I get cranky when I'm tired!  I had the opportunity to get one for like $15 once. I really regret not getting it when I had the chance.

-Sarah


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