To avoid health problems and to allow your white’s tree frog to live a long and healthy life, it is paramount that they get the best nutrition available. But what exactly do white’s tree frogs eat and what is the best diet to feed them?
You should feed your whites tree frog crickets, various worms, and other insects for a well-balanced diet. A white’s tree frog diet should not be overloaded with fat due to its propensity to obesity in captivity.
White’s Tree Frogs, as we said before, have a great appetite and a healthy frog should always light up when they see some food wiggling before their eyes.
A Typical White’s Tree Frog Diet Might Include
- Crickets
- Earthworms
- Wax Worms
- Mealworms
- Silkworms
- Slugs
- Roaches
How Much and How Often To Feed A White’s Tree Frog
Adult white’s tree frogs that have reached three inches or greater in length and they should be fed about every two to three days. They should eat about 3-4 large crickets or other approved insects of similar size. Though not all insects have equal nutrition.
A juvenile frog, less than three inches in length, should be fed daily, though they should eat a bit less per meal. As they are growing, White’s Tree Frogs are especially hungry little amphibians and will be more than willing to chomp down on any insects that you introduce into their tank.
Again, just be careful that during the feeding frenzy, they aren’t able to eat anything indigestible that could cause an impaction in their gut.
How To Know If You Are Overfeeding or Underfeeding Your White’s Tree Frog
Since every frog is different in size, activity, and propensity for obesity, you may need to adjust its schedule or the amount of food they receive. The best way to tell how much food they need is to examine the condition of the frog’s body.
There should be ridges just above a White’s eardrum. If there are no ridges, the frog is underweight and should get more food. Ridges that fold or sag indicate that that frog is obese and may need to cut back on the crickets or earthworms.
How To Prepare A White’s Tree Frogs Diet
Every insect that you feed to your frog needs to be gut-loaded. Gut loading is the process of feeding nutritious foods to the insects that you intend to feed to your amphibian.
This makes them as nutrient-dense as possible and makes sure that your pet gets all of the essential vitamins and minerals that they need.
For more on the process of gut-loading your insects, take a look at this article from thecritterdepot.com.
In addition to gut loading, you can also dust or spray your frog’s food with a calcium-vitamin supplement. This should be done frequently when young but only about once per week when they are fully grown.
A good example would be RepCal Herptivite and Repashy superfoods calcium plus.
What Are The Best Foods To Feed White’s Tree Frogs
White’s tree frogs are insectivores so they should be insects and worms. An easy go-to is crickets because they are highly nutritious and easy to come by. Another great choice would be roaches that are also properly gut loaded.
It is important that you use a variety of feeder insects for your frog to keep them happy and to put some variety in the nutrients they are receiving. Change things up with a constant rotation of gut-loaded insects.
Avoid Too Much Fat In Thier Diet
Mealworms and waxworms are high in fat and should be fed more sparingly. Other high-fat foods should also be avoided or limited in a White’s tree frog diet.
Pinkies, AKA baby mice, are a popular food for some larger species of amphibians, but for a White’s Tree Frog, I think they should simply be avoided.
They are very high in protein and fat and are a bit much for even a large White’s system to handle. They are best left to larger creatures.
The White’s Tree Frog is a low-maintenance option for someone looking for a frog to call their own. With a proper diet and an owner that is on the lookout for any signs of illness, you should be able to keep one of these frogs for a long, long time.
Watering Your White’s Tree Frog
In addition to a proper diet, white’s tree frogs need access to high-quality drinking water. This is a key aspect of a healthy white’s tree frog that can affect thier lifespan.
White’s tree frogs are very sensitive to chemicals such as chlorine. So make sure that you are using a good water conditioner. This would include the drinking water and the water used to mist the enclosure.
You can also use purified water bought at the store. That said, purified is not the same as distilled. Never use distilled water for a white’s tree frog.