The 'dumpy' tree frog — a chunky, placid, long-lived frog that's one of the easiest amphibians to keep and among the few tolerant of very brief, gentle handling.
🟢 Beginner-friendly🐸 Chunky & docile🌙 Nocturnal · Arboreal⏳ 15–20 years
Care difficulty
Easy
Animal cost
£20–£40
Full setup
£150–£500
Adult size
7–11 cm
Lifespan
15–20 years
Min. enclosure
45×45×60 cm
📋At a Glance
White's (Australian green) tree frogs are big, chunky, slow-moving frogs with a permanently 'smiling' face. They're hardy, forgiving and long-lived, making them an excellent first amphibian — and, unusually, they'll tolerate very brief, gentle, wet-handed handling. Their main pitfall is obesity: they'll eat far more than they need.
Best for: first-time amphibian keepers wanting a hardy, characterful, docile frog.
💷Costs & Getting Hold of One
The animal
£20–£40.
Full setup
£150–£500 (arboreal terrarium, low heat if needed, foliage, water dish).
Ongoing costs
Low — insects and supplements.
Availability
Very easy; widely captive-bred.
These are minimums, not budgets. The low end still has to meet the animal's needs — proper UVB, a heat gradient, space and filtration are not optional extras. A vivarium alone can cost £250–£300+, and a tortoise's UVB lamp alone is often ~£100. Price the whole setup before you commit to the animal.
Buying tip: Choose an alert frog that's not overweight (visible fat folds/bulging = obese). Captive-bred are hardiest.
🏠Enclosure & Where to Keep It
An arboreal frog needing height, sturdy branches and a humid, planted terrarium.
Single adult
Minimum 45×45×60 cm; bigger for a group.
Furnishing
Branches, broad foliage (real/artificial), hides and a large, shallow water dish.
Water
A dish of dechlorinated water big enough to sit in — they soak to hydrate.
Where to keep it
A stable room out of direct sun.
Always use dechlorinated water — chlorine and chloramine harm amphibians' permeable skin.
🌡️Temperature, Lighting & Humidity
Temperature
22–28 °C day, cooler at night; a low-wattage heat source only if the room is cold.
Lighting / UVB
Low UVB (T5 5–6%) is beneficial. 12-hour cycle.
Humidity
Moderate (50–70%); mist daily and allow some drying.
Bedding / substrate
Moisture-retentive coco fibre/bioactive mix; a water dish always available.
🍽️Diet, Supplements & Feeding
An insectivore with a big appetite — the key is not to overfeed.
Staple
Dusted crickets, dubia, locusts and worms.
Frequency
Juveniles most days; adults just 2–3× a week — they gain weight easily.
Supplements
Dust insects with calcium (+ D3/multivitamin per schedule).
Water
Dechlorinated water dish; they drink/hydrate through their skin.
Obesity is the number-one problem — a fat White's frog with rolls of skin over the eyes is being overfed. Feed sparingly as adults.
✨Grooming, Shedding & Additional Needs
No grooming; they shed their skin periodically and usually eat it. Good humidity keeps skin healthy.
🖐️Handling & Interaction
One of the few amphibians tolerant of brief handling, but their skin is still delicate and permeable — keep it minimal, gentle and wet-handed.
How to handle
Handle only occasionally and briefly, with clean, thoroughly-rinsed wet hands (or damp powder-free gloves), low over a soft surface. Never with lotion, soap residue or dry hands.
✅ Do
Rinse hands well and wet them first (no soap/lotion residue).
Keep handling brief, gentle and occasional.
Support the body low over a soft surface.
Use dechlorinated water for everything.
Wash hands after (amphibians can carry salmonella).
⛔ Don't
Don't handle with dry, dirty or lotioned hands.
Don't over-handle — skin absorbs everything.
Don't overfeed (obesity).
Don't use untreated tap water.
Don't house with much smaller frogs (they may eat them).
🦎Fun Facts
Nicknamed the 'dumpy' tree frog for its chunky build and skin folds.
The 'smile' is just the shape of the mouth — but it's endearing.
One of the longest-lived pet frogs.
A loud, distinctive bark, especially before rain.
Native to Australia and New Guinea.
⭐Overall Verdict
The ideal beginner frog: hardy, placid, long-lived and (uniquely) tolerant of the odd gentle wet-handed hold. Just feed it sparingly as an adult and use dechlorinated water, and it's close to foolproof.