Defining Characteristics:

• Great beginner tree frog
• Bright green with red eyes
• Bold
• Easy to breed
• Loud call
• Large
• Can be housed in groups

Name: The Red-Eyed Tree Frog has a very obvious common name–it is a tree frog with red eyes! It’s scientific name is Agalychnis callidryas, which literally translates into (aga-) plenty of (-lychnos) shining (kallos-) beautiful (-dryas) tree nymph. This refers to their sparkling eyes, beautiful appearance, and arboreal habits. The Red-Eyed tree frog is also known as the Red-Eyed Leaf Frog.

Recommended Terrarium Size: Red-Eyed Tree Frogs are easy to house. Choose a large enclosure—an 18x18x24 glass terrarium is a good size for 2-4 juveniles or adults.

Opinions on substrates vary–we’ve had luck with finely ground coconut fiber, damp paper towel, and sphagnum moss. If using sphagnum moss, make sure to press down the moss so it is flat – this will greatly reduce the risk of impaction. Paper towel will need to be changed 2-3 times a week.

Red-Eyed Tree Frogs need constant access to fresh, clean water – a large water bowl is a must! Use an easy to clean dish, as the frog will be using the dish as a latrine and you will need to clean daily. Scrub the dish and disinfect with a 5% bleach solution or ReptiSan.

Want to make caring for your Red-Eyed Tree Frogs easy? Check out the Josh's Frogs Tree Frog Kits!

Temperature (°F): They do best when kept in the mid-high 70s. At Josh's Frogs, we house our red eyes at 74-76°. Temperatures in the mid/high 80s can quickly be fatal, especially when coupled with a lack of water or humidity. Measure temperature with a digital temperature gauge.

Humidity: Red-Eyed Tree Frogs require moderately high humidity, and are best kept at 60-70% humidity. Providing ventilation is very important - we recommend using at least a half screen top. Stagnant, humid conditions quickly lead to bacterial skin infections in red-eyed tree frogs. A large dish of clean water should always be provided. Monitor humidity with a digital hygrometer.

Size: At the time of sale, captive-bred red-eyed tree frogs from Josh’s Frogs will measure around 1 inch. After about 10 months they will be nearly adult size, with males measuring about 1.5" inches and females another half inch larger than the males at 2".

Age: With proper care, red-eyed tree frogs can live up to and over 5 years. Reports of 8-10 year old animals abound, and many hobbyists routinely keep red-eyed tree frogs for 4-5 years. All RETF froglets sold by Josh's Frogs are 8-10 weeks old.

Feeding: At the time of sale, captive bred red-eyed tree frogs from Josh’s Frogs have been chowing down on 1/4 inch crickets for several weeks and growing like weeds! The frogs will quickly grow to 2 inches within another 3-4 months and be large enough to eat 1/2 inch crickets. As adults, Red-Eyes will easily eat 3/4 inch or adult crickets.

All crickets should be dusted with a quality vitamin/mineral supplement. At Josh's Frogs, we dust with Repashy Calcium Plus, Rep-Cal Calcium with D₃, and Rep-Cal Herptivite.

Sexing: Red-Eyed Tree Frogs are fairly easy to sex as adults. Females are much larger than males, with a wider and more stout head. Females will be about 1 inch longer than males, and are easily 50% heavier. All Red-Eyed tree frog froglets sold by Josh's Frogs are unsexable.

Color/Pattern: These Panamanian Red-Eyes really stand out, with dark maroon eyes and often have a bluish/teal hue over most of their body.

Social Behavior: These frogs are easily kept in groups, especially when young. Make sure that all frogs are getting adequate food - sometimes froglets will out-compete each other. We house males and females separately at Josh's Frogs - males may bother females by constantly trying to mate. If this happens, separate the frogs or reduce the humidity. 

Breeding: Red-Eyed tree frogs travel down to the forest floor in search of pools of water to breed. Eggs are laid on vegetation hanging above the pools. As the tadpoles hatch, they fall quite a distance (sometimes several meters) before splashing into the water. Tadpoles quickly grow in the pools, and can leave the water in 6-8 weeks. Young Red-Eyed tree frogs live around the edges of the pools, before making their way back up into the canopy. In captivity, Red-Eyes are typically bred in a rain chamber.

Check out our video of Josh's Frogs Rain Chamber Setup, or read our Rain Chamber blog!

Natural Range: In the wild, Red-Eyed tree frogs inhabit the canopy of tropical rainforests, and are endemic to Mexico, all the way through Central America, to the western coast of Colombia. They rely on camouflage to blend in, and do a great job during inactivity during the day!

History in the Hobby: Red-Eyed Tree Frogs have long been a popular mainstay in the amphibian hobby. This is the classic tropical rainforest frog! Still supported mainly by wild caught imports, Josh's Frogs is working to breed large numbers of Red-Eyes in the hobby. Through our efforts, and the efforts of other dedicated hobbyists, we hope that the mass import of wild caught Red-Eyed Tree Frogs will stop in the near future.

Links of Interest:

• National Geographic - Red-Eyed Tree Frog
• IUCN - Red-Eyed Leaf Frog
• AmphibiaWeb
• Josh's Frogs Caresheet for Red-Eyed Tree Frogs

Still not sure if Red-Eyed Tree Frogs from Josh's Frogs are the right pet frog for you? Read the reviews below and see what other customers are saying!