Frogs of all shapes and sizes make fun and unique pets. But since many people can find some type of frog in their local neighborhood, the most popular frogs are the ones that are not as common and that attract attention. In our experience, this means the colorful frogs are the biggest hits with hobbyists.
In this article, we will discuss our most popular, most colorful pet frogs sold at Backwater Reptiles.
Painted Mantella (Mantella madagascariensis)
The painted mantella is a small frog that packs a colorful punch. Their dark black bodies are decorated with orange blocks on their hind legs and bright green on their front legs and face. The overall effect is quite beautiful. No wonder these little frogs are called “painted.”
Like most frogs that are kept as pets, painted mantellas are “look not touch” animals. Due to their delicate size, mantellas will see human hands as predators and are therefore skittish. You are likely to drop the frog or accidentally injure it if you attempt to interact with your mantella often. We recommend handling them only to clean their cage or on special occasions.
Strawberry Poison Dart Frog (Dendrobates pumilio)
Dart frogs come in a variety of colors. The strawberry dart frog has a strawberry red body (hence its common name) with dark blue/black limbs. Its torso is often speckled with dark spots as well.
Although they are dubbed poisonous, dart frogs in captivity actually lose their toxicity. Because they are eating a different diet, they are unable to synthesize the toxins that they secrete through their skin in the wild, making them harmless to people.
It might seem that a frog species this small would be tough to feed, but we find that ours will accept a diet of fruit flies and pinhead crickets quite readily.
Clown Tree Frog (Hyla leucophyllata)
The common phase of clown tree frogs found in the pet herp industry is a dark red/orange/dusky brown color with white/cream colored accent blotches. The body of this morph tends to be the darker tone while the extremities are more of a cherry red tone.
Of all the species on this list, we feel that the clown tree frog is probably the most interactive pet frog. It is a hardy and common frog in its native habitat and this translates well to captive bred animals. Like nearly all frog species, we wouldn’t go so far as to say that clown tree frogs enjoy being held, per se, but they tolerate it well. This species is not so delicate that you will risk harming the animal if you pick it up. They are also probably the least skittish of all the species on this list, although they are still fast and can jump far when they want to, so take special care when you do handle your clown tree frog.
Tiger Leg Tree Frog (Phyllomedusa hypochondrialis)
Tiger leg tree frogs hail from the Amazonian rain forest and make spectacular tropical pets that will surely impress your friends and family.
These beautiful frogs have green bodies with orange sides flecked with black speckles. They also have cream-colored bellies and eyes with cat-like vertical pupils. They are quite remarkable in appearance.
Tiger leg tree frogs will grow to a moderate size. It’s common for them to be anywhere from one and half to two and half inches long. Females are also usually larger than males.
If you are a night owl, a tiger leg tree frog might just be the perfect pet frog for you. They are distinctly nocturnal by habit, so they will be active at night. During the day, it’s likely your tiger leg tree frog will attach itself to a leaf and happily snooze the day away.
If you are interested in a pet tiger leg tree frog and want to learn more about their care requirements in captivity, feel free to check out the blog article we wrote detailing how to take care of them.
Conclusion
While all herp species make good pets for different types of people, we’re willing to bet that the colorful frogs on our list will be popular hits with nearly anyone.
If you are interested in creating a habitat for a colorful pet frog of your own, Backwater Reptiles sells painted mantellas, strawberry dart frogs, clown tree frogs, and tiger leg tree frogs. We’ll help get you started with any of these species.