- White's Tree Frogs range in color from a light blue to emerald green or almost gray across their backs and milky white bellies. Females have white throats, and males have a grayish wrinkled vocal sac underneath their throat.
- White's tree frogs can change color to some degree.
- White's tree frogs have enormous toe pads with partial webbing between fingers and almost complete webbing between toes. White's tree frogs' eye has a horizontal pupil; most other tree frogs have vertical pupils. The fatty ridge over the eye is a distinctive feature of the species.
- White's tree frogs are large, ranging in length from 3 to 4.5 inches (7 to 11.5 centimeters), about the size of a fast pitch softball. Females are usually slightly larger than males.
- White's tree frog is native to Australia and southern New Guinea and has been introduced to New Zealand. These tree frogs can live in either seasonally dry or wet habitats. They prefer moist, forested environments but have skin that can adjust to drier situations. White's tree frogs do not typically live in or near water, but instead live in trees. Rain collects on leaves, in cup-shaped plants and in crevices in tree trunks, allowing the frogs access to water. These places are replenished with water from the almost daily rains and the frogs always have a source of water to keep themselves moist.
- White's tree frogs are not strictly limited to tropical rain forests. In other forests, these frogs avoid desiccation in the dry season by taking refuge in tree hollows or secreting a milky substance called "caerviein." They cover their bodies in a cocoon that prevents them from losing too much moisture.
- This frog's adaptability allows it to share suburban and agricultural areas with humans. They have been found in bathrooms, water tanks and city reservoirs. During the hot summer months, they can appear on the verandas of homes, or actually enter homes, looking for moisture.
- White's tree frogs reach sexual maturity in their second year. In the summer rainy season, they feast for a few days then start to breed. During the mating season, males grow a black pad on their thumb to help in gripping the females during mating, which can last for days while the female lays her eggs.
- The female expels her eggs with suchĀ force that they go through the deposited sperm cloud and stop up to 1.5 feet (0.5 meters) away. A clutch can contain from 150 to 300 eggs. Once fertilized, the eggs sink to the bottom. Hatching begins about 28 to 36 hours after laying. Metamorphosis can occur in two to three weeks in good conditions.
- This is important to consider when you are setting up a home for your new White's tree frogs.Ā They will thrive and breed if you can replicate these conditions.Ā Think of getting a misting system and a big enough tank to house the species.Ā They will eat a lot of crickets, and will enjoy a nocturnal existence.
- When threatened, they emit an ear-piercing distress call.
- White's Tree frogs eat mainly insects such as moths, locusts and roaches. As pets, they typically consume crickets and cockroaches.
- The average life span is about 15 years, but have been recorded to live over 20 years in captivity.
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