🐾 LandCare difficulty: IntermediateLegal complexity: Low
Chinese gliding frog
Zhangixalus dennysi · also called Denny's flying frog, Large treefrog, Rhacophorus dennysi
A large, vivid green Asian foam-nesting tree frog with extensively webbed feet that let it parachute or glide between branches. It is a hardy, impressive arboreal species but needs a tall, humid, heavily planted enclosure to thrive.
Educational only. KinStation content is reviewed by licensed veterinarians but cannot replace an in-person exam. Always consult a licensed veterinarian or board-certified specialist for diagnosis, treatment, or any decision affecting your pet's health.
🩺 Need expert help with your chinese gliding frog?
Connect with a specialist near you or ask a licensed vet — never substitute online guidance for hands-on care in an emergency.
Quick facts
| Size | Large for a tree frog: females 3 to 4 in (8 to 10 cm), males smaller around 2.5 to 3.5 in (6 to 9 cm) snout-vent |
| Lifespan | 5–12 years |
| Social needs | group |
| Native region | Southern and central China, with related populations in northern Vietnam |
| Origin | Old World |
| Climate | ⛅ Subtropical |
| Water type | 💧 Freshwater |
| Family | Rhacophoridae |
| Genus | Zhangixalus |
Part of the Tree Frogs
Arboreal frogs adapted to climbing with expanded toe pads, kept in tall, planted, humid terrariums. Most are nocturnal display animals that should be handled minimally and only with clean, wet hands to protect their sensitive, absorptive skin.
Habitat & space requirements
From the minimum an animal needs to be kept humanely, up to the ideal setup. Bigger is almost always better — minimums are floors, not targets.
Life & growth stages
How this animal changes through its life — each stage often has its own care, diet and space needs.
Habitat & enclosure
Because of their size and arboreal, gliding habits, provide a tall vivarium of at least 24x18x24 in (60x45x60 cm) for a pair or small group, larger for more frogs. Furnish abundant sturdy branches, cork bark, and broad-leaved plants to climb and leap among. Maintain daytime temperatures of 72 to 82 F (22 to 28 C) with a meaningful night drop into the high 60s F (around 20 C), and humidity of 70 to 90 percent. Include a large, shallow water area or dish, as adults soak and the species lays foam nests above water into which tadpoles drop. A seasonal cooler, drier rest period helps stimulate breeding.
Substrate
Use a deep bioactive substrate (ABG mix or coco fiber and sphagnum) over a drainage layer, topped with leaf litter. Live plants and a clean-up crew of springtails and isopods help maintain a stable, humid environment. Avoid loose particulate that could be swallowed during feeding.
Equipment & setup
Use an automated misting or fogging system or hand-mist daily, plant lighting on a 12-hour cycle, and a thermometer/hygrometer. Low-level UVB (around 2 to 5 percent) supports health and is recommended for a large frog. Provide gentle supplemental heat only if the room is cool, controlled by a thermostat, and ensure a cooler night temperature.
Diet
Insectivorous and a strong feeder given its size. Offer appropriately sized crickets, dubia roaches, locusts/grasshoppers, hornworms, and the occasional silkworm; very large adult females may take the odd small feeder of suitable size. Feed adults 2 to 3 times weekly and growing juveniles more often. Dust with calcium plus D3 at most feedings and a multivitamin weekly to prevent metabolic bone disease.
Behavior & temperament
Nocturnal; rests on leaves and branches by day and becomes active and vocal at night, with males giving a loud call in season. The webbed feet allow controlled gliding leaps. Generally calm but, like all amphibians, has delicate permeable skin and is not a handling pet; handle only when necessary with clean wet hands or move in a container. Keeps well in groups with adequate space and food.
Health
Watch for chytrid fungus, bacterial skin infection (red leg), and metabolic bone disease. Obesity is a risk in well-fed captive adults, so manage feeding. Maintain clean water and surfaces. Wild-caught imports may carry parasites; prefer captive-bred animals and quarantine newcomers. Lethargy, bloating, weight loss, or skin lesions warrant veterinary attention.
Tips, DIY & hacks
Give them height and strong horizontal branches so they can perform their natural gliding leaps. To breed, simulate a warm rainy season after a cooler dry rest: heavy misting and a large water body trigger foam-nest building on overhanging surfaces. Rear the dropped tadpoles in clean, well-oxygenated water. Use dechlorinated or RO water throughout.
Sources
- AmphibiaWeb: Zhangixalus dennysi (database)
- Amphibian Species of the World: Zhangixalus dennysi (reference)
- Wikipedia: Chinese gliding frog (wiki)