So far, amphibians living in water and on land have been described, but many of them decided to climb higher! Representatives family tree frogs, or trees, (Hylidae) especially popular with terrariumists. They spend most of their lives on trees and shrubs, and only occasionally go down. Some tropical species do even without these "visits".

They "take baths" and lay their eggs in small reservoirs, formed in the axils or rosettes of leaves, hollows of trees. Long fingers with suction cups at the end allow them to climb not only on trunks and branches, but also on smooth leaves, and in captivity on glass, easily holding onto vertical surfaces. In addition, tree frogs are able to make huge jumps, instantly “sticking”, for example, To opposite wall rooms.

Many species are brightly colored, which is reflected in their names: "orange-sided", "golden", "multi-colored", etc., although most of them are green or brownish in spots and stripes protective coloration. Three domestic species are common in Russia: ordinary (Hula arborea), Asia Minor (N. savignyi) And Far Eastern (H.japonica) tree frogs. These are medium-sized (3-4 cm) frogs that lead an arboreal lifestyle. All of them are somehow protected species.

As an example, consider the common tree frog, which lives in the south of the European part of Russia, in Krasnodar Territory and in the Caucasus. But in some years with especially hot summers, tree frogs were found in the south of the Moscow region. The green color makes them completely invisible against the background of green leaves. Their existence is given out only by the sharp cries of males. Their singing can be heard at night and during the day, especially before the rain. Adult tree frogs usually live on trees far from the water, and young ones often stay on aquatic vegetation, sitting directly above the water (on reeds, cattails, reeds, sedges).

These frogs are active both day and night, but in the darkduring the day they feel bolder: they descend from the trees and catch insects in the grass. They overwinter, burrowing into bedding or hiding in burrows, hollows, under stones. Before wintering, the color of tree frogs changes to a darker one. They prey on various insects, but prefer winged ones - flies or butterflies. big booty, like other frogs, stuffed into the mouth with the help of the front paws. For breeding, reservoirs are chosen, whose banks are bordered by reeds, bushes and trees. Females lay their eggs in spring, in large lumps, in several steps. One female can lay up to a thousand eggs. Very small tadpoles, no more than 0.5 cm, hatch after 10 days. Their development lasts for 3 months; the size of the tadpole before metamorphosis is up to 5 cm. The frogs become sexually mature at the 3-4th year of life.

More attractive for home keeping are tropical tree frogs, whose captive breeding is well established, and therefore some species are sold in pet stores. Most often this Australian species: blue, or coral-toed, (Litoria caerulea) And leggy (L. infrafrenata) litoria. These are large (up to 14 cm) amphibians of green color, sometimes with a bluish tint. Calm, even phlegmatic, they live great at home and are capable of simple training, so they often become pets. They require a spacious high terrarium. As a pound, a mixture of leafy soil, peat and expanded clay is used, in which plants with dense leathery leaves can be planted. At the bottom you need to put a wide and deep pond for swimming. When decorating the terrarium, you can use snags and tree branches that will protect the stems of plants from breakage. The temperature of the content is slightly above room temperature: 20-32 ° C. Humidity - about 80%. Food: crickets, cockroaches and other insects right size. Frogs are very willing to eat flies and mosquitoes. They quickly get used to taking food from their fingers or from tweezers. Tree frogs can be trained to croak when the lights are turned on. In order for the frogs to start making sounds, they use a box of matches - just shake it next to the terrarium, as the males begin to "respond". If you do this every day when you turn on the light (lamps for illuminating the terrarium), then the tree frogs produce conditioned reflex- croak when the owner comes to the terrarium and turns on the lamp. During the mating season, male tree frogs scream loudly on their own initiative, warning a possible rival that the territory is already occupied, and attracting females with their calls.

Representatives look like tree frogs family of copepod frogs, or copepod, (Rhacophoridae), common in South-East Asia And tropical Africa. Some Asian species famous for their ability to glide with the help of greatly enlarged webs between the toes of their hind legs. Most often hit by amateurs house paddlefish (Polypedates leucomystax), breeding in captivity. These are medium-sized amphibians: the body length of males is 4-5 cm, females are twice as large. The color is brown with darker spots and stripes. To the conditions of detention are undemanding. The main thing that attracts the attention of lovers to them is the method of reproduction. The eggs are laid in a foam nest built by the parents. It is located above the water, between the leaves of low-hanging plants. In a terrarium, copepods build a nest on the side walls or just on the ground. After 2-5 weeks, the foam liquefies and the hatched tadpoles roll into the water. They feed small copepods in the same way as tree frogs. And reproduction in captivity is stimulated with the help of hormonal injections, which is not available to beginners.

Of course, representatives of the most-most among tailless frogs are considered family of poison dart frogs (Dendrobatidae). Incredibly bright colors, interesting behavior, beautiful "singing" and, last but not least, the deadly poison produced by the skin of some species, attract the attention of not only biologists and ecologists, but also a large army of terrarium amateurs. Fortunately, when kept and bred in captivity, the toxicity of the poison practically disappears. It is possible that it depends on habitat conditions and the type of food, but nothing is known for sure. Which allows us to recommend dendrobates as pets.

A group of poison dart frogs (1 male and 3-4 females) needs a spacious terrarium, at least 40 x 25 x 25 cm in size. The soil is a mixture of peat, fern roots and sphagnum. A snag with plants from the bromeliad family placed on it is obligatory. Ventilation required. Temperature during the day 23-27 °C, at night 19-22 °C. Humidity - about 70%. Lighting is a must; at the same time, it is desirable to provide for a daily 30-60-minute quartz treatment with a LAU-30 lamp. Food: small insects, spiders and other invertebrates; should be in stock, since poison dart frogs are very energetic frogs and in the event of a week-long hunger strike they can simply die, which is how they differ from their other cold-blooded relatives, who eat just once a week.

The reproduction of poison dart frogs is incredibly interesting, although very difficult for a novice terrariumist. A male sitting on a horizontal leaf of a plant, with melodious trills, calls females ready for breeding to him. Caviar in the amount of 5-10 pieces is laid directly on this sheet. The male fertilizes her, and then stays nearby for a while, moistening the eggs with his mucus as needed. Tadpoles hatch on the 10-15th day, and the father carries them on his own back in a lump of foamy mucus to the nearest reservoir: such a reservoir is often water accumulated in the axils of bromeliad leaves. The female periodically visits her children, laying unfertilized eggs into the water, which serves as food for them. The male defends his territory and his "harem" (usually he has several females), courageously attacking the male poison dart frogs of his species.

The following types of dendrobates are imported into our country: coloring (D. auratus) poison dart frog- black-blue or black-yellow, about 4 cm in size; small (D. pumilo) poison dart frog - usually bright red with black or blue legs, 1.5-2 cm in size; blue (D. azureus) poison dart- blue-blue with black spots, 4 cm in size; sacred (D. leucomelas) poison dart frog - black with bright yellow spots and stripes, 3.5 cm in size.

In terms of complexity of keeping, other amphibians of the same bright color can be compared with dendrobates. For example, harlequins (Atelopus) - small toads from the tropical regions of America and Madagascar mantella frogs (Mantella). Unfortunately, all these interesting tailless amphibians do not live long - 5-6 years. (However, this is longer than the lifespan of a laboratory white rat - about a year and a half!). In addition, all exotics are poorly tamed, completely ignoring the existence of their own owner. Therefore, I do not suggest that beginners start them without fail - this is the lot of "advanced" terrariumists who have accumulated extensive experience in keeping amphibians in captivity. I just want you to love all amphibians, these wonderful animals - slippery, cold, but incredibly interesting and cute.

Where does the common tree frog live?

The common tree frog is a widespread species in Europe; outside of Europe, it is found in Transcaucasia and Turkey. Its range enters the territory of Russia in several places. This is the south of the Kaliningrad region, the southwestern regions of the Central European part of the country, Ciscaucasia. It is possible that populations of this species have survived in the basin upstream Volga.

Usually a calm tree frog sits on plants - trunks, branches, leaves of trees and shrubs, among the grass. At the same time, the limbs are matched to the body, and the tree frog itself resembles a neat leaf, moreover, as a rule, it takes on the same color as the surrounding background. Therefore, it can be quite difficult to notice it.

Lifestyle

Although the usual pastime of a tree frog is to sit completely still somewhere on a bush, in reality it is a very active animal: it swims perfectly, jumps on the ground like real frogs, easily climbs any plants and “flies” from branch to branch.

Motionless sitting tree frogs are invisible not only to us, but also to insects. Of course, the tree frog will not miss the opportunity to grab an inadvertently approaching fly, but this is so, in between times (rest). The real hunt begins at dusk. Before this, if there is such an opportunity, the tree frog bathes, replenishing the moisture lost during the day (after refreshing water procedures body weight of a tree frog can increase by 40 percent) and then proceeds to search for prey. In the dark, she sees as well as during the day, and collects all living creatures. Unlike clumsy toads, tree frogs can also catch small, mobile animals. A significant part of its diet is made up of flying insects: flies, mosquitoes, small butterflies. A mosquito is quite a decent prey for this tiny frog, and tree frogs eat so many of these annoying insects that they deserve our special gratitude. On occasion, a tree frog can catch something in the water. It captures small prey with a “shot” of a sticky tongue, grabs larger prey with its jaws and pushes it into its mouth with the help of its front paws.

In the season of activity, tree frogs, unlike our other amphibians, never hide in terrestrial shelters - burrows, crevices, heaps of foliage. They sleep, and rest, and take refuge (from heat, bad weather, predators) among foliage and grass. Only for wintering tree frogs go underground - into the holes of other animals, cracks under stones or in the ground; may winter in hollows or at the bottom of water bodies.

Tree frog breeding

For reproduction, tree frogs need stagnant ponds with banks overgrown with tall plants- trees, shrubs, reeds. Males sit either in the water or on these plants and "sing" attract females. The mating signal of males consists of rhythmic series, each of which has four to six sharp sounds, similar to "app-app-app-app". Thanks to the developed resonators, the sounds are quite strong, considering what a tiny animal makes them. All local males gather to the spawning reservoir, and an impressive choir is formed. "Singing" is especially intense in the evening, but some males "sing" during the day. Females come to the breeding site for a short time - only to lay eggs, while males stay here for the entire period. Therefore, there are always more males in the reservoir than females, and the latter have big choice. In the competition for females, males use two main techniques. Firstly, intense singing that attracts females. Secondly, the protection of its territory - a certain section of the reservoir, on which the male does not let rivals. It is clear that those who do not have such a territory simply have nowhere to breed, even if they manage to attract a female. As a rule, larger and stronger males take possession and hold the territory. The success of mating "singing" is associated with the size of the body - the trills of massive males have different frequency characteristics than those of small ones, and nature has determined that the sound frequencies of large individuals are more attractive to females. The latter seem to know that the owners of such a “voice” are in the most suitable place for laying and breeding future offspring. However, the common tree frog, like many tailless amphibians with developed mating "singing", has developed its own figurative tactics of behavior, which allows even those males who did not manage to take over the territory, still leave offspring. Small males sit silently near the "singing" large ones and, on occasion, intercept females heading towards them. A pair can form already on land, and the “invader” cannot be thrown off by any force.

The female lays from 3 to 21 portions of eggs, each of which is a lump of 15-215 eggs attached to plants in the water. One female can lay up to 1800 eggs. The development of embryos lasts one to two weeks, and the larvae grow one and a half to three months. Often, the larvae overwinter and turn into small tree frogs only the next year. Miniature tree frogs that have completed their metamorphosis for the first time stay near the shore of their native reservoir, and then, like adults, they look for a place for wintering. They reach sexual maturity at the age of two to four years. In nature, they can live up to twelve years. When kept in a terrarium, they reach a more respectable age; a case is known when the common tree frog lived in captivity for 22 years.

The population density of tree frogs is quite high compared to other amphibians. In some places, tree frogs are as common as any grasshoppers, especially during the period when juveniles that have passed metamorphosis come to land. Despite the jumping ability of tree frogs and their ability to hide, practically merging with surrounding objects, numerous predators do not ignore them.

Common tree frog is one of the most striking examples of the rapid extinction of amphibians. Over the past century, its range within Russia has significantly decreased - it is reliably known that in several central regions of the European part and in the Southern Urals the species disappeared during this period. Frog populations are also dying in other European countries. The main reason for this sad process is the destruction and industrial pollution of the biotopes of the species. In many countries, the common tree frog is included in the lists of specially protected animals.

Tree frogs are a favorite object of keeping in terrariums. Beautiful and miniature, like porcelain figurines, bright and periodically changing color, clean, they are also always in sight (unlike many other amphibians, which you will never see in a terrarium); they are interesting to watch, they are easy to feed (preferably with specially bred house flies and fruit flies), they adapt well to captivity and live in a terrarium for a long time. The technique of breeding and raising tree frogs in captivity has been worked out and is not very difficult. However, catch in natural environment and bring home, and even more so release the tree frog later in another place should not be. tree frog different types bred specially and sold for home maintenance, so as not to harm natural populations.

Tree frogs, also known as tree frogs, are the most colorful members of the amphibian order, ranging in color from yellow and green to red and blue mixed with black. Such a bright range is not just a freak of nature, it is a signal for predators, warning of danger. By secreting a poisonous toxin that can paralyze, stun and kill even a large animal, tree frogs have firmly established themselves in the impenetrable tropical forests of Central and South America, where high humidity and a huge biodiversity of insects allows them to survive for more than 200 million years. Appearing on Earth at the same time as dinosaurs, frogs demonstrate an extraordinary adaptation to the environment - painted in all the colors of the rainbow, they are almost invisible among the lush vegetation and inedible for most representatives of the fauna.

- Amerindians, have long learned to benefit from poison dart frogs, using it as a deadly substance to lubricate the tips of their hunting darts. Having pierced the frog with a stick, the Indians first held it over the fire, and then collected the droplets of poison that appeared on the skin of the animal into a container, after which they dipped the arrows in a viscous liquid. This is where another name for poisonous tree frogs came from - dart frogs.

Unusual facts from the life of poisonous poison dart frogs

Among the 175 brightly colored tree frog species, only three pose a threat to humans, the rest imitate toxicity with their appearance although they are not poisonous.
The size of dangerous tree frogs reaches 2-5 cm, and females are larger than males.
Tree frogs climb trees thanks to rounded ends on their legs, resembling suction cups. Making circular movements with their limbs, they easily move along the sheer plane of the tree trunk.
Poison poison dart frogs prefer to live alone, carefully guarding the boundaries of their territory, and converge only during the mating season after reaching 2 years of age.
Tree frogs acquire their bright color with age, frogs always have a nondescript brown color.
The frog's body does not produce poison - it adsorbs the toxins of small insects. Poisonous secretions appear on the skin of an amphibian at the moment of danger and are due to a specific "diet", which includes ants, flies, and beetles. Captive-bred tree frogs far from their natural place habitats and deprived of their usual food, are absolutely harmless.
Dart frogs are both diurnal and nocturnal, climb the ground and trees, and use a long sticky tongue when hunting.
The life cycle of tree frogs is 5-7 years, in captivity - 10-15 years.

Yellow poison dart frog

Inhabiting the Andean foothills - in the coastal zones of southwestern Colombia, the most poisonous frog in the world - a terrible leaf climber ( Phyllobates terribilis ) , prefers growing on rocks 300-600 m above sea level. The leafy litter under the crowns of trees near the reservoir is a favorite place for the most dangerous vertebrate animal in the world - yellow-gold tree frogs, whose poison can kill 10 people at a time.

The distribution zone of the strawberry-colored tree frog (Andinobates geminisae), 1.5 cm in size, from the family of poisonous leaf climbers, first found in 2011, is the jungle of Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Panama. The red-orange palette of the body of an unusual amphibian is adjacent to the bright blue on the hind legs and black marks on the head. After the terrible golden leaf climber, the red tree frog ranks second in the world in terms of toxicity.

Okopipee blue poison frog

In 1968, the sky blue tree frog Dendrobatus azureus was first discovered by scientists in humid tropical areas. bright shade cobalt or azure sapphire with black and white splashes - this is the classic coloring of Okopipi. Own name poisonous tree frog received from local natives for a long time - unlike scientists, it has been familiar to the Amerindians for many centuries. The distribution area of an unusual vertebrate is relic rainforests, surrounding the Sipaliwini savanna, stretching across southern regions Suriname and Brazil. According to scientists, the blue dart frog was, as it were, “mothballed” in this area during the last ice age when part of the jungle turned into a grassy plain. It is surprising that Okopipi cannot swim like all amphibians, and she gets the necessary moisture in the wet thickets of the rainforest.

Distribution area red-eyed tree frog- Agalychnis callidryas, quite extensive: from Northern Colombia, through the entire central part of America, to the southern tip of Mexico. lives this species amphibians mainly in the lowlands of Costa Rica and Panama. The coloring of the “big-eyed” poison dart frog is the most intense in the family of tailless vertebrates - neon spots of blue and orange are scattered on a bright green background. But the eyes of this amphibian are especially noteworthy - scarlet, with a vertical narrow pupil, they help a harmless little frog scare off predators.

In the east of the continent, there is another species of red-eyed frog - Litoria chloris - the owner of a rich light green color with yellow patches. Both types of tree frogs are not poisonous despite their expressive “outfit” and piercing eyes.

Interesting to know! Many animals have showy coloration, a warning color evolved to ward off predators and indicate the toxicity of its owner. As a rule, this is a combination of contrasting colors: black and yellow, red and blue or others, a striped or teardrop-shaped pattern - even those predators that are naturally color blind can distinguish such colors. In addition to the catchy color scheme miniature animals have big eyes, incommensurable with the dimensions of the body, which in the dark creates the illusion large organism. This feature designed for survival is called aposematism.

Medical uses of tree frog venom

Research scientists on the pharmacological use of frog toxins began as early as 1974 - then at the US National Institutes of Health, experiments were first conducted with Dendrobatid (Dendrobatid) and Epidatidine (Epidatidine), the main components of tree frog venom. It turned out that in its analgesic properties, one substance is 200 times greater than morphine, and the other is 120 times greater than nicotine. In the mid-90s, a scientist at Abbott Labs. managed to create a synthetic version of epidatidin - ABT-594, which significantly reduces pain, but does not lull like opiates. The American Museum of Natural History team also analyzed 300 alkaloids found in tree frog venom and determined that some of them are effective for neuralgia and muscle dysfunction.

The most big frog in the world - goliath (Conraua goliath) from West Africa, its body length (excluding legs) is about 32-38 cm, weight - almost 3.5 kg. The giant amphibian lives in Cameroon and Guinea, on the sandy banks of the African rivers Sanaga and Benito.
The smallest frog in the world is a tree toad from Cuba, it grows 1.3 cm in length.
In total, there are about 6 thousand species of frogs in the world, but every year scientists find more and more new species.
A toad is the same frog, only its skin is dry, unlike frogs, and covered with warts, and its hind legs are shorter.
The frog sees perfectly at night and is sensitive to even the slightest movement, in addition, the location and shape of the eyes allows it to perfectly survey the area not only in front and on the sides of itself, but also partially behind.
Thanks to their long hind legs, frogs can jump up to 20 times their body length. The Costa Rican tree frog has webbed toes between its hind and fore feet, a peculiar aerodynamic device that helps it float in the air as it jumps from one branch to another.
Like all amphibians, frogs are cold-blooded - their body temperature changes in direct proportion to the parameters environment. When the air temperature drops to a critical level, they burrow underground and remain in suspended animation until spring. Even if 65% of the tree frog's body is frozen, it will survive by increasing the concentration of glucose in vital organs. Another example of survivability is demonstrated by the Australian desert frog - it can survive without water for about 7 years.

New types of frogs and toads found in the world

Recently in mountainous region in the west of Panama was opened the new kind golden tree frog. Scientists were able to spot the amphibian in the dense foliage because of an unusual loud croak, unlike any previously studied. When zoologists caught the animal, a yellow coloring pigment began to appear on its paws. There was a fear that the secretions were poisonous, but after a series of tests, it turned out that the bright yellow mucus did not contain any toxins. A strange feature of the frog helped the scientific team come up with a scientific name for it - Diasporus citrinobapheus, which conveys the essence of its behavior in Latin. Another new species of poisonous frogs, Andinobates geminisae, was found by scientists in Panama (Doroso, Colon Province), in the upper reaches of the Rio Canyo River. According to experts, the neon-orange frog is on the verge of extinction, since its habitat is extremely small.

On the island of Sulawesi near the Philippine archipelago, scientific group discovered the existence of a large number of clawed frogs - 13 species, and 9 of them were hitherto unknown to science. Differences are observed in the body size of amphibians, the size and number of spurs on the hind legs. Due to the fact that this species is the only one on the island, nothing prevents it from breeding and multiplying, unlike its relatives in the Philippines, where spur frogs compete with another species - amphibians of the Platymantis family. The rapid growth in the number of island anurans clearly demonstrates the correctness of the concept of adaptive distribution of Charles Darwin, described on the example of finches from the Galapagos archipelago.

Biodiversity of frogs on Earth

Vietnam. About 150 species of amphibian animals are distributed here; in 2003, 8 new species of frogs were found on the territory of the country.
Venezuela. The exotic state is sometimes called the "lost world" - many mesas that are difficult for researchers to reach are distinguished by endemic flora and fauna. In 1995, a group of scientists undertook a helicopter expedition to the Sierra Yavi, Guanay and Yutaye mountains, where 3 species of frogs unknown to science were found.
Tanzania. A new species of tree frog, Leptopelis barbouri, has been discovered in the Ujungwa Mountains.
Papua New Guinea. Over the past decade, 50 unstudied species of anurans have been found here.
Northeastern regions of the USA. Habitat of a rare spider-like toad.
Madagascar. The island is home to 200 species of frogs, of which 99% are endemic - unique species that are not found anywhere else. The latest discovery of scientists - the narrow-mouthed toad, was discovered through a study of the soil and leafy cover of the jungle, during which it was possible to identify amphibian excrement.
Colombia. Most outstanding discovery scientists in this region is a species of tree frog Colostethus atopoglossus, found only on the eastern slopes of the Andes, in El Boquerón.

Argentina, Bolivia, Guyana, Tanzania and many more countries with tropical climate and rugged landscapes are regions where scientists are constantly finding new subspecies of animals, including tailless amphibians - frogs. Owners of miniature sizes, arboreal representatives of the amphibian order are not only the smallest, but also the most dangerous animals in the world - modern zoologists are becoming more and more convinced of this.

In contact with

The common tree frog, a member of the order of anurans of the tree frog family, is a miniature frog with a body length of about 5.5 cm, long hind legs and a glossy skin surface. Remarkable tree frog in color variability skin. This change can take place literally before our eyes: it all depends on the color of the surrounding substrate and the emotional state.

The usual color of the frog is green, but it can acquire all shades of white, gray and brownish-brown. Common tree frog (class of amphibians) is a peaceful and clean creature. This article will tell about her, her habitation in nature and the peculiarities of keeping at home.

Lifestyle in the wild

The tree frog (the second name of the tree frog) is found in almost the entire European territory. Usually calm, she sits on stones, plants, trunks or leaves of trees, in the grass. You will not immediately notice it in nature - in its appearance, the tree frog resembles a leaf of a tree, and besides, it is well camouflaged under the surrounding entourage. So she hunts, waiting for insects. Common tree frog is an active animal: it swims excellently, easily jumps on plants. In nature, the activity of tree frogs increases with the onset of twilight, it is at this time that the real hunt begins. Darkness does not prevent the frog from looking for prey - it has excellent eyesight. The vast majority of its diet is made up of flying insects: mosquitoes, flies, butterflies. But she does not disdain to catch small, mobile living creatures. Her weapon is not only a sticky tongue, but also her jaws, with which she can capture flightless prey. Is the common tree frog poisonous? No, this is a harmless species, the tree frog honestly captures prey without paralyzing it. The protection of the frog from external danger is its ability to hide, merging with the outside world.

In summer, during the active season, tree frogs do not hide in crevices or burrows. They rest and hide from danger and bad weather in the foliage of shrubs or grass. They wait out the winter underground, climbing into holes left by other animals, under stones, into crevices of rocks, hollows of trees, they can go to the bottom of the reservoir for wintering.

Tree frog breeding

For breeding, frogs need to choose a suitable place - a stagnant pond surrounded by banks with high vegetation (trees, shrubs, reeds). Males, sitting in water or on bushes, attract females with rhythmic calls, thanks to the available throat resonators. We have all heard the croaking of frogs. It is the developed resonators that nature has provided males that allow them to make very loud sounds. On the spawning pond, where all the district males gather, an impressive choir is spontaneously organized, reaching its climax, as a rule, in the evening hours. Females come to the breeding site only to lay their eggs and leave, and males do not leave here for the entire spawning period, so they are always in the majority in the reservoir and females can choose.

The female lays several portions (from 3 to 21) of eggs, which are a lump of a different number of eggs attached to aquatic plants. They can be from 15 to 215 pieces. Embryos develop for one to two weeks, transforming into larvae grow for another 1.5-3 months. It happens that the larvae overwinter and grow into small frogs only in next year. Baby tree frogs at first stay on the banks of their native reservoir, and then, by analogy with the behavior of adults, they look for a place for wintering. Frogs become sexually mature at the age of 2-4 years. IN wild nature common tree frog can live up to 12 years, and when kept in a terrarium - up to 20-22.

Problems: population decline

The common tree frog is a vivid example of the rapid disappearance of amphibians. Over the past 100 years, its range in Russian borders decreased markedly - in some central regions European part and within Southern Urals this frog species has disappeared. The number of tree frogs is also decreasing in other European countries. The main reason for this trouble is industrial pollution of the environment, or, as they say, biotopes of the species.

Maybe that's why tree frogs today have become a favorite object of keeping in home terrariums. Let's talk about the rules for caring for these animals and the necessary equipment to ensure a comfortable life for them.

What to prepare: vertical terrarium

For tree frogs, a vertical-type aquaterrarium is suitable, which includes a small reservoir, a coastal area and vegetation. Minimum dimensions terrarium to accommodate 1-2 animals are 20x20 cm at the base and 50 cm in height (excluding the height of the lamp). The container should be equipped with additional downward daylight heating using an incandescent lamp or a mirror lamp. The terrarium is not heated at night. The temperature during the day should be maintained at 23-26 ˚С, at night - 16-20 ˚С.

Inside, imitating the natural landscape:

They place small snags, branches, branches on which the frog will rest.

Bromeliads, anubias, orchids, small ficuses, philodendrons, scindapsus, etc. are planted or installed in containers.

They arrange a shallow (8-15 cm) pond with aquarium plants - echinodorus, cryptocorynes. The bottom is laid out with aquarium pebbles, a large stone protruding from the water is installed near the shore. You can run several snails into the reservoir, providing natural cleaning of the walls.

At the back or side wall of the terrarium, the shore is equipped with a substrate that is necessary for the placed plants. When using potted plants, the shore is lined with sphagnum.

The terrarium is sprayed daily warm water- moss should not dry out. Tree frogs can be kept alone or in a group.

Another type of terrarium

They also use another entourage in the terrarium - without land plants, but only with representatives of the aquarium flora floating in the water. Such an aquaterrarium should be large: at the base - 30x30 cm, height - 40-50 cm. a large number of aquarium plants. Experience shows that tree frogs feel good in such conditions.

Any terrarium needs to be equipped so that it is convenient to clean it. It is necessary to carry out such events at least once every 3-4 weeks.

What you need to know about behavior

The common tree frog, with its peaceful disposition, good appetite and calm behavior, quickly adapts to captivity. As a rule, it does not create problems for future owners, but one should take into account the fact that the male will periodically “sing”. It has been observed that males love to "talk", especially if they hear the sounds of music or conversation. Females are more silent: she can only speak in case of danger.

The predominantly nocturnal natural activity of frogs at home changes somewhat: tree frogs in terrariums are more mobile during the day, and rest at night.

Color change in captivity

If the common tree frog changed the habitual green color skin, you should pay attention to this. Darkening is an indicator for any irritation. The fading of the color indicates that the animals are cold, it is necessary to turn on the heating. It is necessary to carry out ultraviolet irradiation sessions (15 minutes every other day) to destroy pathogens.

Common tree frog: keeping and feeding

In a terrarium, tree frogs are fed brownie/banana crickets, marbled cockroaches, zofobas, etc.

Tadpoles are usually carnivorous. They are also fed with invertebrates (daphnia, bloodworms, cyclops). Juveniles are fed every day, adults - once every 2 days. Once a month, vitamins are added to the feed (in accordance with the instructions) and calcium supplements, crushed eggshells.

Breeding

At the end of wintering, the male and female are placed in a terrarium together. The female lays several portions of eggs, which are attached to aquatic plants. Tadpoles appear after 8-14 days and develop for another 1.5-3 months. They are recommended to be planted separately in specially prepared horizontal aquaterrariums with walkways to exit the water after transformation. Before metamorphosis, the tadpole reaches 4.5-5 cm. The water temperature is maintained at 20-24 ° C, aeration is necessary, carried out using a compressor, as well as adjustable filtration.

rest period

Common tree frog is a reptile with a pronounced dormant period. In winter, it must also be provided to "pets":

For 2 weeks, reduce heating to shutdown;

The tree frog is placed in a breathable, but without access to light, cage filled with wet moss, and placed in a cool place (15-17 ˚С) for 2-4 days;

The container is placed on the shelf of the refrigerator, where the temperature is maintained at 8-10 ˚С for 2 months (at the same time, do not forget to maintain humidity in the cage).

Exit from wintering is carried out in the reverse order.

Common tree frog, keeping at home

Common tree frog (Hyla arborea) or European tree frog is a small green tree frog measuring 3 to 5 cm in length. The common tree frog is more suitable for keeping in greenhouses and greenhouses, since the frog jumps well and can hit glass in a terrarium, but keeping in a terrarium is possible.

Description

The common tree frog is bright green, olive green, grey, yellow or brown in color and smooth. The bottom of the frog is white/cream in color, with a granular texture. A dark stripe runs from the nostrils down the body to the thigh on each side of the frog.

The hind legs of the common tree frog are much larger than the front legs and stronger, which allows the frogs to jump quickly. Frogs have sticky discs on each toe that allow the common tree frog to climb on surfaces. The common tree frog has horizontal pupils and a very distinctive croaking sound. On Greek Hyla means barking.

Habitat, behavior

Common tree frogs are found throughout Europe and Western Asia. They prefer overgrown areas near water, they spend most of their lives on land. During the day, common tree frogs usually sit on wide leaves, basking in the rays of the sun (they lose relatively little moisture due to the properties of the skin), and spend the night on the ground in search of insects, spiders and snails. In nature, it feeds mainly on insects, mainly flying, jumping after them.

From April to July, male common tree frogs gather in water bodies for night singing, which can be heard from a kilometer away. Females visit the reservoir only for one night.

During the winter months, the common tree frog hibernates.

The common tree frog is somewhat similar in content to the herding tree frog, barking tree frog, changeable tree frog, however, the changeable tree frog prefers more high temperatures. It is very easy to keep an ordinary tree frog at home, no additional equipment and heating is required.

It is best to keep the common tree frog outdoors, in well-ventilated greenhouses and conservatories. They can also spend the winter there if you provide them with a large container with moss and leaves.

Common tree frogs are much less demanding, cheaper and more profitable to keep than tropical tree frogs.

The common tree frog is a small frog, but very active and jumps long distances, so it requires a glass terrarium of at least 45 x 45 x 60 cm. When kept in a smaller terrarium, frogs can hit their snouts on the glass while jumping.

Place the terrarium in a cool place, out of direct sunlight. No additional heating is usually required. The heating zone, if done, is with a sufficiently low temperature.

Content temperature: daytime 18-25ºC; night temperature 13-18ºC.

It is useful to use lamps with UV lighting in the terrarium, the frogs will be able to rest under it as under sunlight. But this is not necessary, ordinary tree frogs are nocturnal creatures; ordinary daylight for 12 hours a day is enough for them.

Relative humidity in the terrarium should be 60-90%. The terrarium should have a shallow bowl of water (the common tree frog is not very fond of swimming), and the ground should be sprayed daily.

In the terrarium, you can use live plants such as philodendron or golden epipremnum, broad-leaved ferns, as well as smooth stones, tree branches (previously boiled for disinfection).

Feeding

The common tree frog is usually fed with crickets, flies, fly larvae, and grasshoppers. Vitamin and mineral supplements with calcium are offered once a week.