White-Lipped Tree Frog

Distribution:
   The White-Lipped Tree Frog is found in Queensland, northern Australia, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea and many of the nearby islands.

Description:
   The White-Lipped Tree Frogs are generally 3.5 to 5" (9 - 13 cm) with the females being the largest. There is no definite way to sex this species, which is why they are not one of the most successfully bred species in captivity. They have quite a long life span, living over 10 years in the wild.
   As the name would suggest, this frog has a white lower lip. The rest of the body is generally a bright green, though low temperature, stress, and other adverse conditions could change this color. Healthy frogs themselves can change from olive-brown to bright leaf green. The skin appears almost granular, with this effect being seen most often on the sides of the frog.

Care and Feeding:
   These frogs, true to their similarity to the White’s tree frog, are great feeders. The White-Lipped Tree Frog will eat gut-loaded or mineral-dusted crickets, soft (post molt) giant meal worms, and even house flies. Be careful about catching your feed insects from the wild as there is too great a chance that they’ve dredged themselves through insecticides, pesticides, or fertilizers, all of which could kill your new frog. Wild caught insects could also house internal parasites that are harmful to your pet frog. Feeder insects are inexpensive and readily available from your local pet store.
   A shallow water bowl should be kept in the cage at all times and should be changed daily with dechlorinated water. The cage should be misted every night as well, as this will provide another water source and will help to keep the humidity level raised.
   The White-Lipped Tree Frogs can mess up their cage rather quickly, though they seem to be cleaner than the White’s Tree Frogs in similar enclosures. Still, misting will help to reduce the amount of cage cleaning and, when you do need to clean the cage, you can use any approved cleaner that can be found at your local pet store.

Environment:
   For an adult frog, a twenty gallon ‘high’ aquarium will do nicely. The White-Lipped Tree Frogs are arboreal (tree-dwelling) frogs and need to have vines and branches to climb about on. The branches should be about the same width as the frog so it is easier for the frog to hold on. The cage needs to be well-ventilated so a screen top rather than a solid top is needed. Suitable substrates include cypress mulch, peat moss, and plain potting soil (without perlite or vermiculite).
   For more information, see the terrarium set-ups described under Basic Reptile and Amphibian Care.

Temperature and Lighting requirements:
   A 50-watt daytime bulb is highly recommended as this will provide the extra heat that the White-Lipped Tree Frogs need in deference to the White’s Tree Frog. Place perches at varying heights so that the frog can stay where it is comfortable.

Social Behavior/Activities:
   As sexing the White-Lipped Tree Frogs is difficult, there really are no particular boundaries for how many frogs you can have together. Just be sure that you provide enough space, perches, water, and general room for the frogs to breathe and grow. They will get along well enough with humans. They are, however, a little jumpier and more nervous than the White’s tree frog. This is a very nice frog for the advanced beginner to intermediate frog keeper.

Handling:
   As with most amphibians, too much handling can stress these frogs out. It is important to always wash your hands before and after handling these frogs. Also, try to only take your croaking friend out at a maximum of once a day, preferably only every other day, for sessions lasting only five to ten minutes.

Breeding/Reproduction:
   Temperatures in the lower 70s, combined with a reduced photo period for six to eight weeks cycles these frogs and prepares them for the mating season. After this cooling period, a warm-up to standard terrarium temperatures and increased humidity with extra misting can lead to courtship and breeding in these frogs.
   As with many tropical frogs, eggs are laid in the water by the female and fertilized externally by the male. The tadpoles develop in water, feeding on detritus and bits of leaves, aquatic plants, and algae. Depending on the temperature, the small frogs metamorphose and make their way onto land and into the treetops they call home.

Ailments:
   The White-Lipped Tree Frog is very hardy, but as with all frog species health and hygiene go hand in hand. Providing a proper environment and keeping it clean is the best way to keep a happy healthy frog.
   The only thing that captive tree frogs seem to commonly suffer from is metabolic bone disease, which can easily be prevented by a diet that adds an appropriate amount of calcium. Using a high-calcium dust to coat crickets once every third or fourth feeding will help prevent MBD. Using a food source that is rich in calcium (Greenleaf lettuce, carrot tops, romaine lettuce, shredded vegetables, and commercial cricket diets) to gut load your crickets before feeding can help to prevent and in some cases even correct this problem.

Availability:
   The White-Lipped Tree Frog is becoming more readily available for anywhere between $20 and $70.