Care sheet / Guide for the: Green and Golden Bell Frog.
By Matt Maney
Scientific name: Litoria aurea. Also have Litoria raniformis the Southern bell frog in NZ (very similar).
Distribution: Litoria aurea mainly found in the upper North Island. Litoria raniformis lower North Island and South Island.
Description: Green and golden through to brown. L. Raniformis often has bumpier skin and at times a green stripe down the center of its back.
Mix between arboreal/tree frog and aquatic/ground dwelling frogs. These are good at both climbing and swimming making these frogs rather unique.
Like to bask in sunlight. Generally hang out near the waters edge or slightly above ground level in low branches or foliage.
Status: Abundant in North of NZ. Endangered in Australia.
Size: Males up to 8cm and generally slim build. Females up to 11cm and often more plump especially when in season and full of up to 10,000 eggs. Largest recorded spawn is 11682 eggs. Average a few thousand eggs at a time and can do this many times a season.
Metamorphs: 1.5-3.7cm. Average size 2.4cm
Diet: Live crickets, locusts, flies, mealworms, slaters, moths and so on, also known to predate other frogs including its own kind, but generally only if food is scarce. Tadpoles graze on decaying plant matter.
Tip - place crickets in a container with raised sides (5-10cm will suffice) and the frogs will come to. Thus keeping most of the crickets contained and you can monitor who is eating. Crickets can also be released weekly throughout enclosures however you ought to take careful consideration of the terrariums landscape. For example works best with minimal water and easy access out of water to achieve best results with this method. No nibbling on frogs ever witnessed and Insect Direct has raised hundreds if not thousands now.
Mealworms ok occasionally - place in a dish.
Locusts just release and or hand feed (watch to make sure they don't drown).
I try and feed them at least every other day. If a frog is skinny, offer food daily. If getting fat, flies are good exercise.
Enclosures: Aim for about 1/3 water area and at least deep enough for them to fully submerge. Easy access out of water is essential - especially for young frogs - also helps any stray live food escape.
Roughly speaking:
60x30x30cm MINIMUM (ok for two frogs)
100x45x45cm GOOD (upto 5/6 frogs?)
120x60x60cm GREAT (Colony of frogs 10+)
Bigger the better when comes to frogs / most reptiles.
Lighting & Heating: Reptile bulb or tube to replicate the sun. Heat lamp or ceramic heat emitter to encourage basking. Basking temp 25-30C, I aim for 26C. At 30C it’s a bit like they are on steroids and become very active, almost bouncing off the walls, with a ravenous appetite.
Nighttime these can handle down to 15C possibly less however I aim for no less than 20C. Can heat the water area with an aquarium heater or heat mat placed under the tank. Southern bell frogs more cold tolerant.
Substrate: River sand and or river stones work well. Hardwood branches add to the aesthetics. Bare bottom tanks full of driftwood work well for breeding and or general living - really makes for simplistic upkeep also.
Filtration: Makes vivarium maintenance much easier, more stable water conditions equating to happy frogs.
Canister filters are great. Under gravel filters (UGF) are OK as to are small internal filters. However small internal filters will likely need to be rinsed every week or two. Do so in old tank water not chlorinated tap water. Never clean thoroughly as will kill off the good bacteria that helps the filter keep the water clean and stable.
Water changes: At least 20% once a week is probably a good base line.
Temperature: 22-26C seems to be a good temp.
Breeding Bell Frogs: Rewarding - easy to breed..
Breeding is stimulated by a raise in temperature and an abundance of food. Much like the frogs experience in the wild when spring and summer come to town. Rainfall is also a cue however not necessary. Winter shut-down is helpful for breeding and fertility however not needed for this species. Would only advise if having problems with fertility.
22-28 degrees Celsius is suitable for breeding.
Lower temperatures are OK for winter shut-down. Careful consideration and planning is a must if opting for winter shut-down/brumation.
Recordings of bell frogs croaking (available online) can be played back to the frogs to help start the breeding process but generally not needed if frogs are fed good food and kept in ideal conditions.
Males will call until females submit and are mounted then the female will deposit upto 10,000 eggs (2000-3000 more typical in captivity) in the water whilst the male fertilises them. This amount of tadpoles will require some serious room and quality water to have any chance of success. Breeding is the easy bit - good luck and happy herping from Insect Direct!
Brown Tree Frog (Litoria ewingii)
The Brown Tree Frog is a slender species characterised by a dark brown to sandy grey-brown upper surface with a broad darker brown patch flanked by a darker brown to black stripe running the length of the back. The under surface is white. The adult female reaches 45 mm, the male reaches 37 mm.
HOUSING
These frogs like to utilise the height of the available cage and so a minimum enclosure of 45cm height x 30cm x 30cm is recommended to house 2-3 adults. These frogs like to climb up the glass and the height of the cage is far more important than the floor space. The base of the terrarium should be kept moist at all times and have a good supply of water as these frogs like to sit in a shallow edge rather than swim (which they do ocassionally) an area about 10cm x 3cm deep will be sufficient. To create more bio active environment a layer of gravel to 3cm topped with another 4cm of dirt may be used, as the frogs don’t like dirt cover it with sphagnum moss, add rocks and branches for them to climb on Pot plants or ferns can be used just ensure the pot plants are safe for amphibians. A good indicator of good conditions is if the moss is thriving, Spray the enclosure in fine water mist daily and the frogs will enjoy it.
Temperature / Heating
Brown Tree Frogs should be kept indoors to protect them from the exposure of extreme temperatures. No heating is required for this frog but can be added if temperatures fall below 10 Celsius. Ideal temperature range for this particular species of frog is a minimum of 10 Celsius and a maximum of 25 Celsius.
Lighting
Brown Tree Frogs are nocturnal in the wild but can be quite active during the day in captivity. No UVB lighting is required but you will require one if you want to keep live plants in your terrarium. An 8 hour light cycle is recommended. DO NOT EXPOSE THE HOUSING TO SUNLIGHT.
Water
Maintaining water quality is an important part of keeping your frogs healthy. Chlorine will need to be removed from your tap water and the best way is with some Repti Safe. Your water should be changed regularly which will depend on how much water you have and how many frogs you have. A small filter, running water and some aquatic plants will all help to keep your water clean. Only change up to 50% of the total water volume at any one time and do not use hot water from the tap. Although Frogs can easily climb glass, it is important to provide numerous escapes from the water especially in the corners where young frogs tend to get trapped. Small frogs are often too weak to break the surface tension of the water when they have nothing but slippery glass to cling to. Part of or all of your tank may be covered in water. Feeding
In nature most frogs are almost totally insectivorous. In captivity the tendency to use substitute foods is one which must be avoided. The most common dietary problems seen in frogs are related to lack of calcium or too much protein in the diet. Calcium powders are available from o ur store and should be mixed in equal quantities with a multivitamin powder then dusted on food before feeding. Place your food insects in a plastic bag with a pinch of calcium/multivitamin powder and shake it till the food is well coated. By doing this about 1/2 the times you feed your frogs, calcium deficiency will be avoided. Feed your frog a variety of insects and invertebrates and you should have few diet related problems. Juveniles will happily eat flies, moths, small crickets and cockroaches, and should have food available to them AT ALL TIMES. Adults will eat almost anything that moves and fits in their mouth, they should be offered about 10-20% of their own body size in food spread over 2-3 feeds each week. During winter or when your tank temperatures are reduced your frogs will need less food. It is important to increase and reduce food in both quantity and frequency with the changing temperatures of your enclosure. Remove drowned insects so as not to foul the water, or feed your frogs individually by holding the insects on some feeding tongs.
Breeding
Breeding occurs in early spring and autumn. Small eggs are laid in several clusters, totalling 500 to 700 eggs. Eggs hatch four to six days after laying. The larval stage lasts for up to seven months in colder waters. Tadpoles reach 60mm before metamorphosis occurs in spring, summer or autumn. Sexual maturity is reached within a year.
Chytrid Fungus.
Using temperature treatment to reduce chytridiomycosis infection
Key message.
Four of five studies (including four replicated, controlled studies) in Australia, Switzerland and the USA found that increasing enclosure or water temperature to 30–37°C for over 16 hours cured frogs and toads of chytridiomycosis. One found that heat treatment at 30–35°C for 36 hours did not cure northern leopard frogs.
Background information and definitions
Treatment of chytridiomycosis is vital to ensure the success of amphibian captive-breeding programmes. Also to reduce the risk of spreading the disease when animals are moved between captive or wild populations.
The chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis is very sensitive to temperatures above 32°C. At 37°C the fungus is killed within four hours and at 47°C within 30 minutes (Young et al. 2007). A study found that the probability of infection by chytrid in the wild decreased strongly with increasing time spent with body temperatures above 25°C in three frog species (Rowley & Alford 2013). A study in captivity also found that fewer frogs became infected and died when exposed to the chytrid fungus if they were housed at 27°C rather than 17°C or 23°C (50 vs 100% mortality; Berger et al. 2004). Increasing temperatures within amphibian housing may therefore provide a treatment for chytridiomycosis.
Berger L., Speare R., Hines H.B., Marantelli G., Hyatt A.D., McDonald K.R., Skerratt L.F., Olsen V., Clarke J.M., Gillespie G., Mahony M., Sheppard N., Williams C. & Tyler M.J. (2004) Effect of season and temperature on mortality in amphibians due to chytridiomycosis. Australian Veterinary Journal, 82, 434–438.
Rowley J.J.L. & Alford R.A. (2013) Hot bodies protect amphibians against chytrid infection in nature. Scientific Reports, 3, 1515.
Young S., Berger L. & Speare R. (2007) Amphibian chytridiomycosis: strategies for captive management and conservation. International Zoo Yearbook, 41, 85–95