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.
Free to read, always. Every care guide stays open with no account. The printable PDF of this guide is included with Premium — see plans.