Tree frogs may be common visitors to your yard. There are numerous species of the tree frog with varying lifespans. Some are long-lived; some are short-lived.
Their lifespans vary depending on whether they live in the wild where they are exposed to predators or in the comfort of an enclosure in your home.
Continue reading to find out more about the lifespan of the interesting tree frog.
Tree Frog Lifespan
Tree frog’s lifespans are varied based on the species. Some can live for fifteen years or more, while others may only live a few years. The smaller species tend to only live a year or two, which are considered short-lived.
The short answer is that their lives often vary between three and six years, but when they live in the comfort of an enclosure protected inside your home, they can live up to twenty years.
Common Tree Frog Lifespans
Frog | Lifespan in the wild | Lifespan in the captivity |
|---|---|---|
White Tree Frog | 2 – 5 years | 7 – 15 years |
| Red Eyed Tree Frog | 5 years | 8 – 12 years |
Gray Tree Frog | 7 years | 7 – 9 years |
| Cope’s Gray Tree Frog | 7 years | 7 – 9 years |
Green Tree Frog | 6 – 8 years | 16 – 20 years |
| Cuban Gray Tree Frog | 5 – 10 years | 7 – 13 years |
Barking Tree Frog | 5 – 7 years | 8 – 12 years |
| Waxy Monkey Tree Frog | 3 – 5 years | 8 – 10 years |
Blanchards Cricket Frog | 1 year | 5 – 7 years |
| Spotted Chorus Frog | 5 years | 5 – 10 years |
Strecker’s Chorus Frog | 5 years | 6 – 10 years |
Mexican Wild Tree Frog | 6 years | 6 – 10 years |
| Mountain Chorus Frog | 5 years | 5 – 9 years |
Western Chorus Frog | 5 years | 5 – 9 years |
| European Tree Frog | 5 years | 5 – 15 years |
* Please note these are average lifespans and may not be 100% accurate.
Oldest Tree Frog In The World
The oldest tree frog in the world lives in Australia and his name is Fred. Fred was rescued in 1977 by a three-year-old and the frog celebrated its fortieth birthday three years ago in 2017, making it the oldest tree frog in the world.
Chris Humfrey found Fred climbing the walls of a toilet block in Coffs Harbor, when on vacation and raised him in captivity to ensure the best life for his amphibian pet.
The common life expectancy of the Australian green tree frog is around twenty years.
Fred has exceeded scientific expectations with his extensive lifespan and forty-three years of happy terrarium living in Melbourne, Australia.
How to Increase Lifespan Of A Tree Frog
If you intend to house a tree frog and you want to extend its lifespan, then there are some very important factors to take into consideration to ensure your frog is comfortable, happy, and healthy.
Enclosure/Terrarium
Frogs are best kept in a glass enclosure, which helps to maintain humidity levels and keep your frog happy and comfortable.
The size of the terrarium is determined by the species of frog and how many frogs you intend keeping in one enclosure. Do not overcrowd, as this can result in stress, which can lead to a lack of appetite and illness.
Ensure you provide a mesh lid, which is secure to reduce the risk of your amphibian pet escaping. The mesh lid allows for ample airflow, while an organic substrate, such as coconut fibers can be useful in helping to manage humidity levels.
Add some climbing branches and vines for climbing frogs, along with some logs, rocks, and plants.
Ongoing Care
Frogs cannot just be placed in an enclosure and be expected to survive. In order to extend the lifespan of your amphibian pet, you will want to ensure you provide adequate temperatures and humidity levels to keep your frog comfortable and happy.
You will want two sides, a warm and a cool side with temperatures as follows:
- Hot side – 28ºC to 30ºC
- Cool side – 22º to 24ºC.
- Ambient – 26ºC
There are numerous heating tools you can use in the enclosure from ceramic heaters to heat mats. It’s important to use a thermostat to ensure you keep the temperatures at optimum.
You will need three lights:
- UVA – helps with appetite, growth, activity, and reproduction
- UVB – Absorb vitamin D3 and calcium.
- White light – natural daylight to create a twelve-hour day and night cycle.
Provide filtered water that must be changed daily. Remember frogs absorb through their skin, so ensure you provide clean water without the risk of chemicals or toxins.
Use a spray bottle and mist the enclosure daily to increase humidity levels. Misting should be gentle, not soaking.
Feeding
A varied diet is important to ensure your frog remains happy and healthy and extend its life.
Of course, in captivity, you will provide ample food to keep your frog strong including insects, such as crickets, silkworms, and roaches. Provide live food to encourage natural hunting behavior.
The amount you feed is based on the size and age of your frog.
Young frogs should be fed once a day until they mature, while adults should be fed every couple of days. Feed at night as most tree frogs are nocturnal and will spend their night feeding.
The size of insects you feed should not be wider than the space between your frog’s eyes.
Dust insects with a calcium supplement.
Important Tips
In order to increase the lifespan of your tree frog do not use insecticides in the room where you keep them, bearing in mind that they absorb water through the skin and do not drink it like other animals.
When touching them, wash your hands thoroughly and remove any soap, chemicals, and toxins.
Know what to look for to quickly identify an unhealthy frog to provide your amphibian with the best care to extend its lifespan in the long run.
Things to look for in an unhealthy frog includes:
- Active during the daytime
- Lack of appetite
- Dull coloration
- Hind legs go stiff
- Breathing is abnormal
- Eyes become cloudy
If you see any of these signs, get your tree frog to the vet to help improve lifespan in the long run.
Ours is very puffy, sitting on bottom of terrarium rather than up on glass sides. Puffy under mouth—chin area. Looks like a toad now Eyes are covered most of the time. This started about 10 days ago. We think maybe he will die soon. Any ideas?