Orange-Legged Monkey Tree Frogs
(Phyllomedusa Hypochondrialis)
Tank Size- These frogs are rather small, but still need a large enough tank. Their
tank should be an extra tall tank, because they are arboreal. I would suggest about 10 gallons per frog and an additional
5 gallons per frog.. So, 2 in a 15 gallon, 3 in a 20 gallon, 4 in a 25 gallon, etc.The bigger, the better.
Food- These frogs are small, and therefore need smaller foods. I would suggest small
crickets, small wax worms, fruitflies, springtails, red flour beetles, small houseflies (bought, not caught), etc.
Make sure to feed these frogs around when you turn their day light off, because that's when they will wake up.
Temperature and Lighting- These frogs should be kept similar to waxy monkey treefrogs,
but ou should never keep both species in the same tank. Their day temperature should be around 77*F-85*F, with a slight drop
at night. As for lighting, I use regualr fluorescent lighting. I buy an under cabinet fluorescent fixture and bulb at Wal-Mart
for $7. These work great, and make plants thrive.
Humidity- These frogs come from around the same area as the waxy monkey treefrogs,
the Gran Chaco and Surinam. I mist mine 1-2 times per day so the humidity stays around 65-75%.
Tank Decor- Since they are arboreal, they will need a lot of branches through out
their tank. Smaller branches work best for them, because they are so small in size. I would reccomend pieces of manzanita
throughout the tank. They will climb on this and most likely sleep on it in the day. Pothos are good live plants for them
to climb on, and fake plants work fine also. I use pothos, snake plant, bird's nestsnake plant, bird's nest fern, pothos,
and dwarf fiscus. A background will be needed on 3 sides of the aquarium to make them feel safe and secure. A screen
top will be needed to allow proper ventilation. Their water dish/bowl should not be too deep, so they don't drown and have
a twig in it to help them get in.out and to prevent crickets from drowning if you don't feed them from a bowl. Bed-a-beast
or paper towels work good as a bedding.
Breeding- In order to breed these frogs, they need to be cycled. First, they need
to be in a dry tank with heavy feedings. A light to heavy misting will stimulate a rainy season and cause them to breed. They
should be provided with pothos or chinese evergreen, because they lay their eggs on these leaves and then fold the leave around
the eggs to make a funnel. A rain chamber os smaller size may be necessary to breed these frogs successfully. When you get
eggs, make sure not to put them directly into water, but suspend them over a water source (not in the frogs' tank.)
Tadpoles- In about 10 days, the eggs will hatch and you will have some tadpoles. The
tads' water should be kept at 77*F and a submersible heater may be needed to achieve this. An aquarium pump and/or airstone
may be needed to add oxygen to the water. After the tads have absorbed their yolk sacks, they should be fed tropical fish
foods, algae pellets, etc.Around 75 days after they have hatched, they will morph out into tiny froglets.
Other References-
