Red-Eyed Tree Frog (Agalychnis callidryas) Care Sheet
The Red-Eyed Tree Frog is one of the world’s most recognisable amphibians. Agalychnis callidryas is an arboreal Central American frog characterised by its vivid green body, striking red eyes, blue-and-yellow flanks and orange feet.
Although commonly maintained in captivity, Red-Eyed Tree Frogs require considerably more than simply a warm, humid enclosure. Appropriate vertical space, ventilation, hydration, environmental gradients, nutrition and careful attention to hygiene are essential for long-term health.
QUICK REFERENCE
Scientific Name: Agalychnis callidryas
Common Name: Red-Eyed Tree Frog
Family: Phyllomedusidae
Origin: Central America
Adult Size: Approximately 4–7 cm, with females generally larger than males
Lifespan: Commonly reported at approximately 5–8+ years in captivity, although reliable maximum longevity data are limited
Activity: Nocturnal
Lifestyle: Arboreal
Diet: Insectivorous
Care Level: Intermediate
NATURAL HISTORY
Agalychnis callidryas inhabits humid tropical forests of Central America.
Its distribution extends through areas including:
- Honduras
- Nicaragua
- Costa Rica
- Panama
Populations are strongly associated with humid forest environments containing suitable vegetation and freshwater breeding sites.
Red-Eyed Tree Frogs are highly arboreal.
During daylight they commonly rest on the undersides of broad leaves with their limbs tucked closely against the body.
Their bright colours become considerably more obvious when the animal moves.
Activity increases after dark, when frogs climb through vegetation in search of prey and suitable resting locations.
Breeding is closely associated with seasonal rainfall and aquatic habitats.
ENCLOSURE
Red-Eyed Tree Frogs require a vertically orientated enclosure that allows natural climbing behaviour.
For a small adult group, approximately:
60 × 45 × 60 cm (24 × 18 × 24 in)
provides a useful minimum starting point.
Larger and particularly taller enclosures are strongly encouraged.
The enclosure should provide:
- Substantial climbing opportunities
- Broad-leaved vegetation
- Multiple resting positions
- Visual barriers
- Shaded areas
- Good ventilation
- Easy access to clean water
Usable vertical structure is particularly important for this arboreal species.
ENCLOSURE TYPE
A front-opening glass terrarium or appropriately constructed arboreal vivarium works particularly well.
Ventilation should provide regular air exchange without causing excessive dehydration.
A combination of:
Lower ventilation + upper ventilation
can help establish useful airflow through the enclosure.
Avoid completely sealed environments.
Persistently stagnant, saturated conditions can contribute to:
- Bacterial growth
- Fungal growth
- Poor substrate condition
- Skin problems
High humidity should not be confused with poor ventilation.
SUBSTRATE
Suitable substrate options include:
- Organic topsoil
- Coco-based substrate
- Amphibian-safe soil mixtures
- Leaf litter
- Bioactive substrate systems
A drainage layer can be useful in heavily planted or frequently misted enclosures.
The substrate should remain moderately moist without becoming permanently waterlogged.
A generous covering of leaf litter helps:
- Protect the substrate
- Retain moisture
- Create naturalistic cover
- Support a bioactive system
Avoid small loose materials likely to adhere excessively to prey.
PLANTING & FURNISHINGS
Dense planting is strongly recommended.
Suitable enclosure features include:
- Broad-leaved live plants
- Cork bark
- Branches
- Vines
- Bamboo
- Artificial foliage
- Elevated resting platforms
Plants with broad, sturdy leaves are particularly useful because Red-Eyed Tree Frogs naturally rest against or beneath foliage.
Provide numerous horizontal and diagonal perches at different heights.
All branches and furnishings must be securely positioned.
TEMPERATURE
Red-Eyed Tree Frogs require warm tropical conditions but should not be subjected to excessive heat.
Daytime
A useful general daytime range is:
22–26°C (72–79°F)
A slightly warmer upper area may reach approximately:
26–28°C (79–82°F)
provided cooler areas remain available.
Night
A moderate nighttime reduction is appropriate.
Approximately:
18–22°C (64–72°F)
works well for most captive situations.
OVERHEATING
Red-Eyed Tree Frogs can dehydrate rapidly when exposed to excessive heat.
Prolonged temperatures approaching or exceeding:
30°C (86°F)
should be avoided.
The enclosure should never be positioned where direct sunlight can cause uncontrolled heating.
Any artificial heating equipment should be controlled by an appropriate thermostat.
Always provide cooler and shaded retreat areas.
HUMIDITY
Humidity should fluctuate naturally rather than remaining permanently extremely high.
A useful general range is approximately:
60–80% relative humidity
with temporary increases following misting.
Humidity can rise considerably after evening misting before gradually falling as the enclosure ventilates.
This daily cycle is preferable to keeping the enclosure continuously saturated.
Adequate ventilation remains essential.
MISTING
Misting provides drinking opportunities and helps maintain appropriate environmental humidity.
Red-Eyed Tree Frogs frequently obtain water from droplets on:
- Leaves
- Branches
- Glass
- Their own skin
Misting is particularly useful during the evening as the frogs become active.
Automatic misting systems can be useful in larger or heavily planted enclosures but are not essential.
The enclosure should be allowed to partially dry between misting cycles.
Constantly wet surfaces are unnecessary.
WATER
A shallow container of clean amphibian-safe water should remain available.
The water dish should be:
- Easy to enter
- Easy to leave
- Large enough for soaking
- Cleaned regularly
Red-Eyed Tree Frogs may enter water at night.
Water should be replaced whenever contaminated.
Use appropriately treated amphibian-safe water.
LIGHTING
Although nocturnal, Red-Eyed Tree Frogs still benefit from a clear day/night cycle.
Approximately:
10–12 hours of daylight
per day is appropriate for routine maintenance.
Good-quality LED lighting can support:
- Natural behavioural rhythms
- Plant growth
- Visual environmental cues
Dense foliage should provide shaded resting areas during daylight.
UVB
Low-level UVB can be provided as part of high-quality captive husbandry.
A gentle Ferguson Zone 1-type exposure is appropriate.
Aim for approximately:
UVI 0.5–1.0 in exposed accessible areas
with:
UVI 0 available beneath dense cover
The frog must always be able to regulate its exposure.
Actual UV levels depend upon:
- Lamp type
- Reflector
- Distance
- Mesh
- Plant cover
- Enclosure height
Where possible, exposure should be confirmed using an appropriate UV Index meter.
DIET
Red-Eyed Tree Frogs are insectivorous predators.
A varied captive diet should be based around appropriately sized cultured invertebrates.
Suitable foods include:
- Crickets
- Locusts
- Cockroaches
- Flies
- Appropriate larvae
- Other nutritionally suitable feeder insects
Dietary variety is strongly encouraged.
Reliance on a single feeder species should be avoided.
Wild-caught insects should generally not be used because of potential:
- Pesticide exposure
- Parasites
- Disease transmission
- Environmental contamination
PREY SIZE
Prey should be appropriately sized for the individual frog.
As a general principle, prey should be easily captured and swallowed without difficulty.
Avoid excessively large insects.
Particular care should be taken with large crickets and locusts capable of biting or injuring frogs.
Uneaten feeder insects should be removed where necessary.
FEEDING FREQUENCY
Feeding frequency depends upon:
- Age
- Size
- Body condition
- Temperature
- Prey size
- Reproductive status
Juveniles
Growing juveniles can generally be offered appropriately sized prey:
Daily or near-daily
with quantities adjusted according to growth and body condition.
Adults
Healthy adults can generally be fed:
Approximately 2–3 times per week
with quantities adjusted according to the individual.
Feeding after lights-out corresponds well with their natural nocturnal activity.
SUPPLEMENTATION
Cultured feeder insects should be appropriately gut-loaded and supplemented.
A suitable supplementation programme should provide:
- Calcium
- Vitamin D3 where appropriate
- Vitamin A
- Other essential vitamins and minerals
Supplementation frequency depends upon:
- Frog age
- Diet
- UVB provision
- Feeding frequency
- Supplement formulation
Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for the particular amphibian-appropriate supplement being used.
VITAMIN A
Vitamin A is an important consideration in captive amphibian nutrition.
Deficiency may contribute to problems involving:
- Feeding
- Eyes
- Skin
- Growth
- Reproduction
- Normal epithelial function
A reputable amphibian supplementation programme should provide an appropriate source of vitamin A.
Plain calcium alone does not provide a complete supplementation programme.
SOCIAL HOUSING
Red-Eyed Tree Frogs can often be maintained in appropriately sized groups.
Animals housed together should be reasonably similar in size.
The enclosure must provide sufficient:
- Space
- Perches
- Foliage
- Feeding opportunities
- Resting locations
Overcrowding should be avoided.
Group housing requires careful monitoring to ensure all individuals are:
- Feeding normally
- Maintaining appropriate body condition
- Able to access preferred resting locations
New animals should not simply be added to an established group without appropriate quarantine.
HANDLING
Red-Eyed Tree Frogs should primarily be considered display animals.
Routine handling is unnecessary and should be avoided.
Amphibian skin is delicate and highly permeable.
When handling is genuinely necessary, clean powder-free nitrile gloves moistened with amphibian-safe water are recommended.
If bare hands must be used, they should be:
- Thoroughly clean
- Free from soap
- Free from sanitiser
- Free from lotions
- Free from chemical residues
- Moistened with clean amphibian-safe water
Handling should be brief and gentle.
BEHAVIOUR
Red-Eyed Tree Frogs are primarily nocturnal.
During daylight they often remain almost completely motionless beneath leaves.
After dark they become considerably more active and may:
- Climb extensively
- Hunt insects
- Move between resting positions
- Visit water
- Interact with other frogs
A frog remaining hidden and inactive during daylight is therefore not necessarily showing abnormal behaviour.
Observing the enclosure after lights-out provides a much better indication of normal activity.
BREEDING
Breeding in Agalychnis callidryas is associated with the rainy season.
Males call from vegetation around suitable aquatic breeding sites.
Following amplexus, females deposit gelatinous egg masses on vegetation positioned above water.
A typical clutch may contain around:
40 eggs
although clutch size varies considerably.
The embryos develop above the water.
When they hatch, the tadpoles fall from the vegetation into the water below.
Under normal conditions hatching generally occurs within approximately:
4–6 days
although environmental conditions can influence development and hatching time.
Remarkably, Red-Eyed Tree Frog embryos can alter the timing of hatching in response to environmental threats. Research has demonstrated accelerated hatching in response to risks including dehydration.
TADPOLES
Tadpoles are entirely aquatic.
They require:
- Clean water
- Appropriate temperature
- Stable water chemistry
- Suitable food
- Adequate space
- Good water quality
Metamorphosis occurs after a variable larval period influenced by environmental conditions.
As metamorphosis approaches, newly developing froglets require easy access to suitable surfaces above the water.
Drowning risk increases if metamorphosing froglets cannot leave the aquatic environment easily.
ENRICHMENT
A structurally complex enclosure provides natural behavioural enrichment.
Useful features include:
- Multiple climbing routes
- Broad leaves
- Different perch diameters
- Dense foliage
- Open areas
- Shaded retreats
- Variable heights
- Naturalistic planting
- Varied live prey
The enclosure should allow frogs to choose between:
- Higher and lower positions
- Exposed and sheltered areas
- Wetter and relatively drier locations
- Different light levels
Environmental choice is an important component of good captive husbandry.
CLEANING & MAINTENANCE
Regular maintenance should include:
- Removing faeces
- Removing dead feeder insects
- Replacing contaminated water
- Removing decaying plant material
- Checking substrate condition
- Cleaning accessible surfaces where necessary
- Inspecting drainage
- Checking misting equipment
- Inspecting enclosure security
Avoid unnecessarily sterilising a healthy established bioactive enclosure.
Any cleaning products used must be amphibian-safe and thoroughly removed before frogs contact treated surfaces.
BIOSECURITY
Good biosecurity is important with all amphibians.
Equipment should ideally not be shared between unrelated amphibian enclosures.
Where equipment must be reused, it should be appropriately cleaned and disinfected.
Wash hands before and after enclosure maintenance.
Never release:
- Frogs
- Tadpoles
- Eggs
- Plants
- Substrate
- Enclosure water
- Biological material
into the natural environment.
QUARANTINE
New Red-Eyed Tree Frogs should undergo an appropriate quarantine period before entering an established collection.
Monitor:
- Appetite
- Body condition
- Activity
- Skin condition
- Faeces
- Weight
- Hydration
- General behaviour
Separate equipment should ideally be used for quarantined amphibians.
Veterinary examination and appropriate diagnostic testing should be considered where health concerns exist.
HEALTH
Potential health problems in captive Red-Eyed Tree Frogs include:
- Dehydration
- Bacterial infections
- Fungal infections
- Parasitic disease
- Nutritional deficiencies
- Metabolic bone disease
- Skin damage
- Trauma
- Poor body condition
Warning signs can include:
- Persistent refusal to feed
- Unexplained weight loss
- Abnormal daytime activity
- Persistent positioning on the enclosure floor
- Weakness
- Difficulty climbing
- Skin discolouration
- Redness
- Swelling
- Skin lesions
- Abnormal posture
A frog repeatedly remaining on the enclosure floor when it would normally rest arboreally deserves particular attention.
Persistent or serious health concerns should be assessed by a suitably experienced exotic or amphibian veterinarian.
LONG-TERM CONSIDERATIONS
Red-Eyed Tree Frogs are sometimes marketed as straightforward beginner amphibians because of their popularity and availability.
Successful long-term husbandry still requires careful management of:
- Temperature
- Humidity
- Ventilation
- Hydration
- Nutrition
- Supplementation
- Enclosure hygiene
- Vertical space
- Veterinary access
Their attractive appearance should not encourage unnecessary handling.
A well-designed planted enclosure that allows natural nocturnal and arboreal behaviour provides a far more appropriate way to appreciate this species.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
This care sheet provides general husbandry guidance and does not replace species-specific research or veterinary advice. Individual requirements may vary.
If you have concerns about an animal’s health or care, consult a suitably experienced exotic or amphibian veterinarian.
Information correct at the date of publication.
ReptileCommunity.com | Revised: August 2026