Description
Hyla cinerea – American Green Tree Frog
Hyla cinerea, now also listed as Dryophytes cinereus, is a beautiful North American tree frog known for its bright green colour, cream side stripe and loud evening call. These frogs are hardy, attractive and well suited to planted, vertically arranged vivariums.
They are mostly active in the evening and overnight, spending the day resting on leaves, cork bark, branches and glass before waking up to hunt. Their calm nature and straightforward care make them a popular choice for both newer keepers and experienced amphibian enthusiasts.
Care at a Glance
- Adult size: around 4–6.5cm
- Temperature: 24–28°C daytime, with a slight night drop
- Humidity: around 60–80%
- Vivarium style: tall, planted and well ventilated
- Diet: crickets, flies, small roaches and other suitable live insects
- Temperament: generally calm, visible and easy to observe
Vivarium Setup
American green tree frogs do best in a planted arboreal setup with plenty of climbing space. Use strong plants, cork bark, branches and broad leaves to create resting spots at different heights. A shallow water dish should always be available, along with regular misting to maintain humidity.
For a natural planted setup, pair them with a suitable bioactive vivarium plant bundle, tropical springtails and tropical white woodlice to help keep the enclosure clean and stable.
Feeding
Feed a varied diet of appropriately sized live insects. Juveniles can take smaller feeders, while adults will manage suitably sized crickets, roaches and locusts. Feeders should be gut-loaded and dusted with a quality supplement such as FrogFather All-in-1 Dust.
Lighting and Heating
Low-level UVB is recommended, alongside a steady day and night light cycle. A warm upper area with cooler lower areas allows the frogs to choose their preferred temperature. Avoid overheating and always provide good ventilation.
Important Notes
These frogs are best kept as display animals rather than pets to handle. Handling should be avoided unless necessary, as amphibian skin is delicate and easily affected by oils, soaps or residues on human hands.
Live animal delivery is arranged using suitable specialist courier services where available, or collection from Nottingham may be possible. Please contact us before ordering if you need help planning your setup.
Explore more: Frogs & Toads | Vivariums | Live Food
Climate & Husbandry Review
Last reviewed: 5 September 2026
Temperature, moisture and ventilation requirements are species- and life-stage-specific. Relative humidity is useful for monitoring trends but should not be treated as a universal single-number target: enclosure airflow, substrate and leaf-litter moisture, access to wet and drier microhabitats, temperature and sensor position all affect the conditions experienced by the animal.
Avoid prolonged overheating, stagnant saturated conditions and rapid environmental swings. Where additional heat is required, provide controlled gradients and monitor temperature at animal level. Frogfather’s own misting schedules are practical husbandry methods rather than universal biological requirements.
Evidence & further reading
- St Claire et al. – The husbandry and care of dendrobatid frogs
- Pough – Amphibian Biology and Husbandry
