Care Sheet - Barking Tree Frog ( Hyla gradiosa )

Geographical Distribution: Southeast Virginia over the coast of

Florida to Louisiana. Also found in small population in Tennessee
and Kentucky.
Habitat: Moist areas, swamps, marshy forests and bushes, as
well as close to pools and ponds .
Size: Can grow up to 7 cm
Life Expectancy: About 7 years
Reproduction: Breeding season is from March to August. Up to
700 eggs are laid. The Tadpoles hatch after 2-3 days and need 50
days for transformation . Tadpoles can be nearly 5 centimetres
(2.0 in) in length.
Temperature: At daytime 22-25C and at night 18-20C
Humidity: 80-90%
Lighting: Halogen Sun Mini in combination with Thermo Socket
plus should be an adequate heat and light source. If it is warm
enough also Mini Light Strip can be used.

Substrate: The pool part can consist of 1/3 of the tank. The
substrate can sharp river sand. For the land section we
recommend Jungle Bedding such as Exo Terra plantation soil,
Coco husk and forest moss should be used do not let the
substrate to get too wet or soggy it should be just damp.
Dcor: Add some stones into the water and plants with large
leaves should be included. Real plants can be used .
Terrarium Size: 60x60x80 cm
Feeding: mealworms, beetles, flies, crickets, wax moths
and grubs.
Comments: It is advisable to let the animals rest in winter at
15C with reduced lighting. These frogs are very good climbers
and jumpers. The ph of the water should be 7.
Variable in colour but easily recognizable due to the characteristic
dark round markings on its dorsum. Individuals may be bright or
dull green, brown, yellowish, or gray in colour. It has prominent
round toe pads and the male has a large vocal sac. It is the
largest native tree frog in the United States,
This frog is known for its loud, strident barking call. It may also
utter a repetitive single-syllable mating call. It has been known to
chorus with other frogs of the same and similar species.
The barking tree frog burrows in the sand, especially when the
temperature is hot. It also spends time high up in trees, especially
during the day when it is less active. It breeds in shallow pools or
ponds from March to August. It is a polygynous species, the
female choosing the male on the basis of his call.

John Gamesby