General Information
Frogs are amphibians, they start life in the water then move onto land, or in this case, up into the trees.
Frogs are great pets for people with allergies to other animals. They have small space requirements and can be left on their own for several days at a time. However they are not entirely simple. They have specific needs which must be met in order for them to survive.
Leaf frogs are nocturnal, and will be less colorful when they are resting in the day. Females are typically larger than the males.
Types of Leaf Frogs
Leaf Frogs are so-named because they "lay" their egg masses on leaves that are above standing water.
To keep things simple, I will not be using scientific names. There are about 40 species of leaf frog, with only a small portion of these being sold as "pets".
The most common Leaf Frog available to hobbiests is the Red Eyed Tree Frog. Noted for its large red eyes, green back and colorful blue sides.
The next common is the Waxy Monkey Frog. Also known as the Painted Bellied Monkey Frog, they are green with white markings on the belly and legs. They are more tolerant of lower humidity.
The Mexican Leaf Frog is a larger leaf frog and is slightly less colorful than many of the others.
There are many other leaf frogs but some are not easily kept as pets, or are simply very hard to find in the pet trade.
Selection and Purchase
You are always best to buy directly from a breeder. You can find breeders at "Herpetology" shows. Breeders may advertise in a Reptile and Amphibian magazine. Another source is from a pet store, but you must recognize that animals from stores may be more stressed and, as they have encountered animals from other origins, they may be more exposed to diseases.
Housing
It use to be the only housing available for frogs were fish tanks converted for use as habitats, but now special tanks are being made to house frogs and other reptiles and amphibians. If you are not using one of these new set ups, make sure you purchase a proper lid for the aquarium, preferably a wire mesh.
You should not keep leaf frogs in anything less than a 10 gallon tank. Taller tanks are preferred, and for three animals, 20 gallons is a good size. You may set it up to house not only your tree frogs but plants as well, this is called a Vivarium. A good plant for leaf frogs is a Bromeliad (ask any store that sells house plants and they will have some). You should also provide branches or vines to allow the frogs to climb up. An alternative is to have plastic plants and fake vines to allow climbing. Cover the floor with specialty bark (substrate) for the purpose of use with amphibians. DO NOT use the shavings sold for pet rodents. You should also have a dish of water with the rim at the same level as the substrate or flooring material you have chosen to use.
Because they absorb moisture through their skin you need to be careful not to use any household products which will also be absorbed by them. Clean the tank only with water. You will need to have a misting system or you can simply mist the tank daily. Lighting is optional, lights will benefit any living plants and will help keep the tank at a warm day time temperature, which needs to be about 80 degrees C. Allowing the tank to cool at night is fine. You can purchase a " reptile night time" light for viewing their nocturnal habits, which will simulate moonlight.
Care and Feeding
Most frogs prefer live food, although you can buy "canned" food for them, you may find your pet wont eat it. Crickets are the most common food for leaf frogs. Be careful to pick the correct size of crickets for your frog, any larger than the frogs mouth is too large. You need to find a way to keep your crickets alive so that you can buy several at a time and only feed 4-5 to your frogs every few days. A plastic storage container works well for housing crickets. You will need to feed them cricket food, and provide them with water. I suggest buying a product for watering your crickets as they easily drown in bowls of water. Be sure to feed your crickets lots of calcium - either through their food, watering product or by offering them a slice of orange every few days. This is how your frogs will get their calcium.
An alternative is "dusting" with cricket dust, a product to coat them with calcium. I prefer the crickets to be "gut loaded" with calcium rather than risk the dust coming off before the frogs eat them.
Other food options are insects you catch, in and around, your home, such as House flies, young grasshoppers and even moths. Stay away from poisonous insects like ladybugs. Do not feed any of these "wild" insects to your frog unless you can be sure they are free of pesticide.
Other Facts
I want to note that in most areas it is illegal to catch frogs out of the wild and keep them as pets.
Breeding of frogs is not an easy thing and should not be attempted by beginners. The reason is that IF you are successful early on, you will not be prepared for the amount of work to be done to raise the tadpoles into frogs. Plan on owning frogs for at least a year or two to make sure it is something you are enthusiastic about doing.
Try not to handle your frogs, but if you must be sure to wash your hand with water only before hand.
It is very hard to find a veterinarian that is familiar with care for these little guys so be wise and prevent any health issues. Also find a good vet BEFORE you need one.
If you want to develop a more natural habitat for your frogs, you should research Vivariums.
This has been a basic guide only, please do more research before getting a pet frog. A good alternative pet to a leaf frog is a Salamander or Fire-belly Toad.
