SpeciesRed-eyed tree frog
Red-eyed tree frog
Agalychnis callidryas
The postcard image of the hobby: green with blue flanks, orange feet and bright red eyes. By day it folds up under a leaf and is practically invisible.
- Group
- Amphibian
- Level
- Intermediate
- Origin
- Central America
Where the species comes from
- World region
- Central America
- Countries
- From southern Mexico to Panama and Colombia
- Habitat
- Rainforest, on leaves above water
The app does not yet hold an origin entry for this species. The distribution given here comes from the specialist literature.
The natural habitat is the yardstick for how you furnish an enclosure. Knowing where an animal comes from is knowing why it needs heat zones, hides and a particular humidity.
Husbandry at a glance
The same details appear in the animal’s profile inside the app.
- Enclosure
- For two animals the Animal Welfare Ordinance requires at least 10 × 5 body lengths of floor area and 10 body lengths of height, i.e. 70 × 35 × 70 cm for females of 7 cm and 77 × 39 × 77 cm for large females up to 7.7 cm; add 2 × 2 body lengths for each further animal. The ordinance sets not only the area but also the ratio of length to width. Height before floor area.
- Temperature
- 24–28 °C by day, 20–22 °C at night. The night-time drop matters.
- Humidity
- 80–100 %, mist in the evening or use a rain system.
- Lighting
- Weak UV-B is beneficial, good plant lighting.
- Substrate
- Drainage layer with soil and leaf litter.
- Furnishings
- Broad-leaved plants as a sleeping place, branches, a water section below.
- Water
- Shallow water section, refreshed weekly, softened water.
- Feeding
- Insects every two to three days, offered in the evening.
- Behaviour
- Nocturnal. By day folded up and colour-camouflaged; the red eyes serve as a startle effect when they flash open.
- Handling
- Do not handle. If necessary, with moistened hands.
- Cohabitation
- Groups of equally sized animals.
- Health
- Sensitive to dry air and poor water.
- Seasonal cycle
- A dry season of six to eight weeks, after which heavy rain stimulates breeding.
- Safety
- No permit required.
Legal position in Switzerland
No permit foreseen
No permit required. The species does not belong to any of the groups listed in Art. 89 of the Swiss Animal Welfare Ordinance
No certificate of competence foreseen
No proof of competence required. It is only demanded for the animals named in Art. 89 of the Ordinance
Species protection applies
CITES Appendix II: Import and transfer only with papers. When buying, ask for proof of origin and captive breeding
Minimum enclosure dimensions
Annex 2, table 6 of the Animal Welfare Ordinance does not prescribe centimetres but multiples of body length. For this species, item 2 (Non-ground-dwelling frogs from tropical and subtropical climates): floor area 10 × 5 body lengths, height 10 body lengths. The floor area applies to at most two animals; each further animal requires an additional 2 × 2 body lengths.
For this group, body length means the total length of the animal, from snout to the end of the body. The largest animal in the enclosure is what counts. The enclosure may not be smaller even if fewer animals live in it than the table names.
| Total length | At least |
|---|---|
| 4 cm | 40 × 20 × 40 cm |
| 5 cm | 50 × 25 × 50 cm |
| 6 cm | 60 × 30 × 60 cm |
| 7 cm | 70 × 35 × 70 cm |
For amphibians the height is an average: the enclosure may be higher or lower in places.
Animals may temporarily be kept in smaller enclosures: for quarantine, for the treatment of illness and injury, for acclimatisation, for breeding and rearing, and for winter or cold dormancy (note a to table 6).
This is the legal lower limit, not a recommendation. An enclosure that meets exactly these dimensions is permitted, but not good for that reason. The details under “Husbandry at a glance” work out this minimum for adult animals; they give the minimum, not the ideal.
What the enclosure must provide
High humidity without waterlogging, softened water, climbing plants. Amphibian skin absorbs substances directly: No contact with cleaning agents.
Paperwork
Keep the purchase contract and proof of origin. Use the scientific name to check CITES and import status reliably.
These details are a guide, not legal advice. Binding information comes from the cantonal veterinary office; the text of the ordinance is what counts. More on the legal position
