Gray Tree Frog

This page is educational reference material for preparing questions. A licensed veterinarian examines the animal, makes the diagnosis, and sets the treatment.

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The frog that refuses to stay one color

Gray tree frogs are Dryophytes versicolor, the eastern North American climbers with sticky toes and a voice like a short trill. Cope's gray tree frog, Dryophytes chrysoscelis, is a separate species that looks the same on a branch. You will not sort them by the color of the back. In the wild, the inner thigh flash of yellow or orange is a better mark than "gray." In a tank they turn green, silver, or mottled depending on temperature and stress. That is normal, not two frogs.

Adults are about 1.5 to 2 inches. The quick facts list 65 to 78°F, humidity 50 to 70 percent, a tall 18 by 18 by 24 inch vivarium, and 7 to 10 years. Humidity that high tropical number people copy from dart frogs is too wet for these. They want climbing space, a water bowl, and bark, then a chance to dry slightly between mistings.

Beginner, with a volume knob

Care level is beginner among native tree frogs if the animal is captive-bred. Crickets, moths, small roaches, and fruit flies, dusted with calcium, are the diet. Males call when rain hits the window. People who wanted a quiet pet should read that sentence twice. Wild collection is a bad plan: populations do not need another bucket, and a wild frog can bring chytrid into a collection.

Wild gray tree frogs survive freezing by loading their tissues with glycerol. That fact gets repeated as a party trick. Do not chill a pet to "see if it works."

Stuck sheds and silence

A frog that cannot climb, or that keeps a ragged shed on the toes, is usually too dry or sick. Fix the moisture and call a clinic if the toes stay stuck. ARAV is the directory. Nightly refusal to hunt is the case the not-eating page is for, with the checker if you need to rank it. Expect about $8 to $20 for a captive frog and $100 to $250 for the tall tank.

Gray tree frog questions

Why did my gray tree frog turn green?

Gray tree frogs change color with temperature, mood, and background. Green, gray, and blotched are the same frog. Cope's gray tree frog looks identical and is told apart by call and genetics, not by a photo.

Do they tolerate freezing?

Wild gray tree frogs survive freezing weather by making glycerol. A pet frog is not a science experiment. Keep the tank around 65 to 78°F and do not put it in the freezer.

Are they loud?

Males trill, especially when the room is humid or a storm drops the pressure. One frog can be a nighttime surprise in a bedroom.

How long do gray tree frogs live?

The quick facts list 7 to 10 years. Captive-bred animals in a tall, moderately humid tank are the ones that get there. Wild-caught frogs are a disease risk, not a bargain.