Feeling Froggy

Red-Eyed Tree Frog Care Guide

Agalychnis Callidryas

Last updated: September 21, 2026

The Red-Eyed Tree Frog (Agalychnis callidryas) ranges from southern Mexico through Panama and into northern Colombia, where it lives in the canopy of lowland rainforest. Adults are bright green with blue-and-yellow flanks, orange feet, and the vertical-pupiled red eyes the species is named for; females reach about 7-7.5 cm and males 5-5.5 cm. They are strictly nocturnal and arboreal — daylight hours are spent tucked under a broad leaf with their limbs folded and colored flanks hidden. Care is straightforward for a keeper willing to build a tall, planted vivarium and feed larger prey than dart frogs take.

Housing Requirements

  • Terrarium Size: 18x18x24 Exo Terra or similar minimum for a pair; 24x24x36 is a better long-term home. Vertical space matters more than floor area — these are canopy animals.
  • Tank Mates: Best kept in same-species pairs or small groups; do not mix with dart frogs or other tree-frog species. Males may call over one another, which is normal.
  • Temperature: 75-82°F (24-28°C) during the day, 70-75°F (21-24°C) at night. A modest nighttime drop is welcomed.
  • Humidity: 60-80%, with a heavier misting at night pushing humidity toward 100% for a few hours before drying back down.
  • Lighting: Standard vivarium LED on a 12-hour day/night cycle; UVB is not required — dust prey with a quality calcium plus D3 supplement instead

Substrate & Environment

  • ABG mix or a similar well-draining bioactive substrate with a leaf-litter top layer
  • Tall, sturdy branches and cork tubes arranged to reach the upper third of the enclosure
  • Broad-leaved live plants — Pothos, Philodendron, Monstera, Anthurium, or large-leaved Bromeliads — for sleeping perches and egg-laying sites
  • A shallow, dechlorinated water feature or large water dish reachable from the plants
  • Nighttime misting from an automated system or by hand

Diet & Feeding

  • Appropriately sized crickets and small dubia roaches as the staple
  • Flightless fruit flies (D. hydei) for juveniles and freshly morphed froglets
  • Occasional variety items — small silkworms, hornworms, moths, aphids
  • Feed adults 3-5 prey items every other night; feed juveniles nightly
  • Dust prey with a quality calcium plus D3 supplement at most feedings, with a multivitamin weekly

Breeding

  • Sexually mature at roughly 10-14 months in captivity
  • Triggered by a rain chamber run alongside a barometric drop and cooler nighttime temperatures
  • Eggs are laid in gelatinous clutches on the underside of leaves positioned directly over water
  • Clutches hatch in 6-9 days, and tadpoles drop straight into the water below to complete development
  • Rear tadpoles in shallow, well-oxygenated water with tannin-stained cover and a soft flake or algae-based diet

Special Notes

  • Arboreal and nocturnal — the enclosure exists to be looked UP into, and the frogs will disappear against a leaf all day. Do not mistake stillness for illness.
  • Skin is delicate and stress-prone; sudden vibration, bright light, or rough handling will send them into hiding for days.
  • Handle only when absolutely necessary for medical care or moving
  • Quarantine all new animals for 30+ days

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