Data sheet coral finger tree frog
Trade name:
Coral finger tree frog
Latin name:
Ranoidea caerulea, Litoria caerulea
Order:
amphibians
Family:
tree frog
Origin:
Australia, Papua New Guinea
Body length:
between 10 and 12 cm
Terrarium size:
at least 60 × 60 × 100 cm
Length and width:
Edge length at least 60 cm
Temperature:
between 23 and 28 °C
Behave
Lining:
Insects, house crickets, crickets, isopods, small mice
Behave:
nocturnal, sociable
Number:
in pairs, small groups
Life expectancy:
about 20 years
Difficulty level:
Medium LiquidGhoul, Australia green tree frog (Litoria caerulea) crop, marked as public domain, details on Wikimedia Commons
General information
The coral finger tree frog from the genus Australian tree frog is native to Papua New Guinea and Australia. This frog is funny to look at and sometimes seems a bit clumsy. Its basic color is green to brown with no conspicuous pattern. A characteristic feature are the toes with their thickening, which enable the coral finger tree frog to climb.
habitat
The natural habitat of the coral finger tree frog includes bushes, trees and reed landscapes. Garden houses or rain gutters are also popular places to live. The frog prefers subtropical and tropical areas where humidity is high.
Because of its adhesive toes, this frog is a good climber. It is also excellent at climbing on glass walls. The coral finger tree frog becomes active at dusk and at night and then searches for food. He makes loud noises, especially in the mating season. During the day he retires to safe shelters.
attitude in the terrarium
A terrarium should be quite large for coral finger tree frogs, because the frogs are nocturnal. It is sufficient if the edge length of the terrarium is at least 60 centimeters per frog, but the animals are also happy about even larger tanks. A pool should always have a greater height than its width.
Coral tree frogs can be kept in pairs or in groups as they appreciate the company of their own species. The terrarium tank should of course prevent outbreaks, because the frogs can also climb up on glass and other terrarium equipment.
The coral finger tree frogs love caves and soil made of forest soil, coconut humus or a mixture of sand and soil. The bottom layer can be made a little thicker.
The coral finger tree frog also needs a large bathing area, for example a water bowl. An aquaterrarium is also possible, but the land area should have good access areas.
Spraying with a spray bottle ensures a good humidity level of at least 60 percent. At night, the humidity can also be around 90 percent. With osmosis water there are no lime spots on the glass panes of the terrarium. You can also use a fogger to increase the humidity.
Coral finger tree frogs feel comfortable at temperatures between 23 and 28 °C. At night it should not get colder than 20 °C. The required daytime temperature is achieved with the help of heat lamps or more powerful light sources. These bulbs should be adequately secured or placed outside of the terrarium. In this way, the climbing artists do not suffer burns.
A terrarium with coral finger tree frogs also includes rich planting, for example with syngnium, single-leaf or bromeliads. A spot light serves as a sun source and a little UV radiation in the lamp prevents deficiency symptoms.
lining
When it comes to food, coral finger tree frogs are not very picky. They eat anything they can put in their mouths. These include isopods, crickets, house crickets, fruit flies, springtails and more. Even young mice are popular with adult frogs, but they should be kept as an exception or the coral finger tree frogs may become fat and sick.
Ideally, they receive the feed animals in the evening and are enriched with minerals and vitamins. It should not be fed every day, every second day is sufficient for young animals and every third day for adult animals.
gender differences
Female coral finger tree frogs grow heavier and larger than males.
Males can be identified by their skin fold for their vocal sac, brown rut calluses on their first fingers, and throat pouch in white.
breed
If you keep coral finger tree frogs in a group, you should always ensure a higher proportion of females so that the females feel less mating pressure from the males.
Coral finger tree frogs become sexually mature at around 2 years of age. The beginning of the rainy season is the starting signal for mating. Anyone who breeds coral finger tree frogs should switch between the rainy and dry seasons in the terrarium tank. This works quite well with spraying to increase the humidity.
A separate breeding terrarium is a good choice for breeding. In this, the main part of the floor is equipped with water surfaces. The water should be no more than 20 centimeters deep. The females each lay up to 300 frog eggs in the water. These are fertilized by the males and then sink to the ground as jelly balls.
At water temperatures between 28 and 35 °C, the tadpoles hatch after a few days. After two or three months, these become small frogs that should be placed in small groups in a terrarium with a watering hole.
The coral finger tree frog is not an endangered animal. Nevertheless, the protection status applies to it, as to all plant and animal species in Australia. Its export is heavily regulated. Animals from offspring can live up to 20 years with good care.
socialization
Coral Finger Tree Frogs can be kept well in pairs or in small groups as they like company.
You should pay attention to this when buying
If you are thinking about buying one or a few coral finger tree frogs, you should first deal with their keeping and care. It should be borne in mind that the frogs can reach an age of around 20 years, so interested parties should consider being responsible for the animals for such a long time.
An important consideration is also the number of coral finger tree frogs. They are very social and can be kept in pairs or in small groups.
Feeding is also an important factor. The frog feeds on spiders and various insects. Fruit flies, crickets, house crickets, isopods, earthworms or slugs are good choices. The frogs should be good at putting their prey in their mouths, as they cannot chew it. Mineral supplements on the feed help against malnutrition.
Coral finger tree frogs are available from breeders, pet shops, private individuals and sanctuaries. When choosing, good hygiene, proper housing conditions and an apparently healthy condition of the frogs must be observed.
The cost of a coral finger tree frog depends on the animal’s age and seller. Young animals cost 25 euros and more, an adult animal usually costs from 50 euros. Add to this the equipment costs (terrarium, lighting, equipment and more). Of course, there are also feed and electricity costs for keeping frogs.