Defining Characteristics:

• Great Beginner Tree Frog
• dark red brown and Gold Coloration and deep red underbelly
• Bold Personality
• moderate Call
• Small Size
• Can be Housed in Groups

Name: Dendropsophus leucophyllatus are commonly called the Clown tree frog due to their vibrant coloration. Clown tree frogs belong to a species complex of over 5 species total and this can lead to confusion in identification. D. leucophyllatus have a distinguishable leaf shape on their lower back. 

Recommended Terrarium Size: Clown Tree Frogs are easy to house. They are smaller tree frogs, and can inhabit a smaller enclosure – a 12x12x18 Exo Terra Glass Terrarium is a good size for 1-2 juveniles or adults. Opinions on substrates vary – we’ve had luck with damp paper towel, sphagnum moss, and bioactive with ABG or biobedding covered in sphagnum moss. If using sphagnum moss, make sure to press down the moss so it is flat – this will greatly reduce the risk of impaction. Paper towel will need to be changed 2-3 times a week. Clown Tree Frogs need constant access to fresh, clean water – a large water bowl is a must! Use an easy to clean dish, such as an Exo Terra Water Dish, as the frog will be using the dish as a latrine and you will need to clean daily. Scrub the dish and disinfect with a 5% bleach solution or ReptiSan. Want to make caring for your Clown Tree Frogs easy? Check out the Josh's Frogs Tree Frog Kits!

Temperature: They do best when kept in the mid-high 70s. At Josh's Frogs, we house our hourglass tree frogs at 74-76F. Temperatures in the mid/high 80s F can quickly be fatal, especially when coupled with a lack of water or humidity. Measure temperature with a digital temperature gauge.

Humidity: Clown Tree Frogs require moderately high humidity, and are best kept at 60-70% humidity. Providing ventilation is very important - we recommend using at least a half screen top. Stagnant, humid conditions quickly leads to bacterial skin infections in Clown Tree Frogs. A large dish of clean water should always be provided. Monitor humidity with a digital hygrometer.

Size: At the time of sale, captive bred Triangle Tree Frogs from Josh’s Frogs will measure about 1/2″ and be between 6 and 8 weeks old. After about 10 months they will be nearly adult size, with males measuring about 1″ and females around 2". 

Age: With proper care, Clown Tree Frogs can live up to and over 5 years. Reports of 8-10 year old animals abound, and many hobbyists routinley keep Clown Tree Frogs for 4-5 years. All Clown Tree Frog froglets sold by Josh's Frogs are 8-10 weeks old.

Feeding: At the time of sale, captive bred Clown Tree Frogs from Josh’s Frogs have been chowing down on 1/8″ crickets, and they will continue to eat that size until they are about 4 months out of the water. After about 4 months they can be transitioned to 1/4" crickets. All crickets should be be dusted with a quality vitamin/mineral supplement. At Josh's Frogs, we dust with Repashy Calcium Plus, RepCal Calcium with D3, and RepCal Herptivite.

Sexing: Clown Tree Frogs are fairly easy to sex as adults. Females are much larger than males, with a wider and more stout head. Females will be about 1" longer than males, and are easily 50% heavier. All Clown Tree Frog froglets sold by Josh's Frogs are unsexable.

Color/Pattern: In daylight Clown Tree Frogs are more of a muted brown, yellow, and cream color. At night, when they are active, Clown tree frogs are edged in bright gold lines and leaf shape near their rear and dark reddish brown. They also have a deep red underbelly.

Social Behavior: These frogs are easily kept in groups, especially when young. Make sure that all frogs are getting adequate food - sometimes froglets will outcompete each other. We house males and females separately at Josh's Frogs - males may bother females by constantly trying to mate. If this happens, separate the frogs or reduce the humidity. Josh's Frogs recommends purchasing multiple frogs if you are interested in breeding them – this greatly increases the chances of getting a pair.

Breeding: Clown Tree Frogs travel down to the forest floor in search of pools of water to breed. Eggs are laid on vegetation at water level. Tadpoles grow in the pools, and can leave the water in 10-12 weeks. Young Clown Tree Frogs live around the edges of the pools, before making their way back up into the canopy. In captivity, Clown tree frogs are typically bred in a rain chamber. Check out our video of Josh's Frogs Rain Chamber Setup.

Natural Range: In the wild, Clown Tree Frogs inhabit the canopy of tropical rainforests, and are endemic Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, and Suriname.

History in the Hobby: Clown Tree Frogs have had a mixed history in the hobby. Available typically as wild caught animals that did not survive for long, captive bred Clown tree frogs tend to be hardy captives. Increasing numbers of Clown tree frogs are available from businesses and hobbyists - definitely a step in the right direction! There is also evidence that there are different phases of D. leucophyllatus which include the normal phase and the giraffe phase. There are a couple of species in the complex that have these phases and won't all be D. leucophyllatus.

Links of Interest:

Amphibiaweb

Wikipedia

Still not sure if Tiangle Tree Frogs from Josh's Frogs are the right pet frog for you? Read the reviews below and see what other customers are saying!