Frogs are air-breathing vertebrates classified as amphibians. As amphibians, they have the ability- for some, the necessity- to live both on land and in water. There are more than 5,000 known species and subspecies of frogs and toads, with new ones being discovered almost daily. Different species of frogs come in all different colors and sizes. Some frogs weigh many pounds and others are quite small.

As pets, frogs can be incredibly exciting to observe. Because many of them are quite delicate and most of them don’t do well being touched, they are great hands-off pets. Active frogs can be great fun to watch hunt, dig, climb, swim and more. Larger, less active frogs can be enjoyed for their size, color, strange habits, or just the thrill of catching a glimpse of them when they come out of hiding.

Types of Frogs

Not all frogs make great pets because some can be poisonous and some don’t do well inside of a vivarium, outside of their natural environment. That said, there are many frogs that make great pets, even for beginner frog owners. Consider the following:

Whites Tree Frog: These active frogs range in shades of green and sometimes blue. They are fun to watch as most of their life is lived off the ground. Some Whites Tree frogs can live up to twenty years with proper care. They live happily in a tall frog terrarium that offers lots of opportunities for climbing.

Fire Belly Toad: Named appropriately for their bright orange and black tummies these hands-off pets are a joy to watch. They do best in a frog terrarium that offers space on both land and in water, where you can observe the frogs hop and swim. They can also be noisy singers.

African Dwarf Frog: These frogs live exclusively in water, so they are great to watch in a frog aquarium. They are very active; as such can be observed floating, swimming and singing.

African Clawed Frog: These frogs are also fully aquatic. They have the ability to camouflage to their surroundings. They are unique in how they use their front legs to eat their food which can be interesting to observe. They are socially intelligent (some owners say they have carefully hand-fed their pets). This specie doesn’t easily get sick so they’re easy to care for as pets.

African Bullfrog: The African Bullfrog can mostly be appreciated for its big size, hearty appetite and aggression toward prey. As an owner, you have the opportunity to watch it grow and increase its appetite from worms and insects up to large mice. They do well in a frog terranium with lots of space for burrowing and a shallow water dish.

Tomato Frog: Named appropriately for its interesting color, these frogs are also unique because of their mouth full of teeth. These frogs are ground dwellers that do best in a frog terranium that represents the land of their natural habitat. They are fun to watch hunt their prey—worms, crickets and newborn mice. Some owners report that with the addition of branches to the frog terranium, you might have the opportunity to see these mostly ground dwellers climb.

Pacman Frog: Also known as The South American Horned Frog (and recognized by other names), this enormously large frog has an equally impressive mouth. They are rather low maintenance and do well in a frog terranium that is mostly land. In fact, they are terrible swimmers and are prone to drowning. They can be appreciated for their large size and appetite for things like large mice.

What Type of Vivarium is Best for a Frog?

The vivarium you choose should be appropriate for your frog according to their natural environment. The size of the frog vivarium will depend on the size of the frog, but most do well in a space that holds about twenty gallons. A pet frog’s vivarium should fall under one of the following categories:

A glass terrarium that represents an environment mostly on land.
An aquarium for frogs that live exclusively in water.
A half-and-half vivarium that gives access to both land and water.

The Glass Terrarium

This type of frog cage is suitable for frogs that naturally live in dryer environments. Glass terrariums open either on the front or on top. It’s important that the opening closes securely, as frogs can be quite the escape artists.

The Aquarium

Some frogs live exclusively in water, and as such, do well in an aquarium. Many pet frogs do well in a fish-tank style aquarium, equipped appropriately with a filter, and a top opening that closes securely.

The Half-and-Half Vivarium

This type of vivarium is a two-in-one with one side water, like an aquarium, and the other side land, like a terrarium. You can build your own half-and-half frog vivarium using a top-opening glass terrarium and installing a piece of glass to separate the sides, and equipping the aquarium side appropriately with a filter, etc. For a less hands-on approach, you can opt for a comprehensive kit like the Water’s Edge Vivarium Kit to confidently create your frog vivarium.

Frog Vivarium Flooring

The frog vivarium’s flooring should be appropriate for the kind of frog that you choose. Many types of frogs need to avoid small particles-like sand and small gravel- that can be easily ingested and perhaps deadly.

Appropriate vivarium flooring to represent a frog’s habitat on land may include soil (fertilizer-free), gravel, mulch, bark chips, pebbles and/or moss. Many of these materials are great for maintaining crucial levels of moisture in your frog terranium. Many pet frog owners experiment with different mixes of the above materials that suit them and their frog for moisture, cleanliness, opportunities for burrowing, or other preferences.

Cleanliness is very important for the whole frog terranium, including flooring. Organic materials will need to be thrown out and replaced during regular deep cleanings and artificial materials will need to be rinsed and dried thoroughly.

Appropriate flooring for a frog aquarium may be sand, gravel and/or pebbles. The addition of a pump and filter will aid in overall cleanliness of the aquarium, but these flooring materials should be removed and cleaned separately during a deep cleaning.

Frog Vivarium Furnishings

Water dish or wading pool: A humid environment and access to some type of water is crucial for most frogs, even ones that can live contently in a frog terrarium that represents land. It is recommended to buy two of the same dishes so that a fresh one is always available while the other one gets cleaned.

Moss: Either real or fake, moss is a great addition to a frog terrarium as its holds moisture that is so crucial to their home environment.

Mist-maker: A mist maker is a great addition to a glass terrarium that represents land because it keeps moisture levels constant, keeping your frog safe. The alternative is using a spray bottle to keep moisture in the terrarium, but that requires more effort and diligence.

Plants, rocks, and or branches: These can be real or fake but are great additions if they represent your frog’s natural environment and cater to their natural habits. These are a great addition to both aquariums and terrariums. Frogs that climb will especially need the addition of plants and branches.

Water pump and filter: If your frog vivarium is all or part aquarium, the addition of a pump and filter will help with cleanliness that is very important to both your health and that of your pet frog.

Lighting and Heating

The ideal position for a frog vivarium would be in a room that already maintains a temperature similar to the frog’s natural environment, located in a place that receives natural daylight, but not direct sunlight. Direct sunlight, in addition to being harmful to many frogs, also encourages algae growth which can become both messy and hazardous.

If the room doesn’t receive much natural light, most frogs do well with a simple florescent light. Any light addition to your frog vivarium should be chosen according to the needs of your specific type of frog. Most frogs don’t require special UV rays and florescent lighting is a great option as it doesn’t give off much heat. Active frogs may find a way to jump or bump into lighting which could become dangerous if hot. Most frogs shouldn’t stay in florescent light for more than four to five hours. It is important to choose a space and light for your frog vivarium that gives your pet frog a representation of normal daytime and nighttime hours. Lights on a timer may be helpful to maintain continuity of light and dark hours in the vivarium.

As for the room temperature, if it is not already regulated, your pet frog vivarium may benefit from the addition of a heating pad, heater cable, a protected heat lamp, or a water heater. All of these options are most effective when monitored with a digital thermometer.

Food and Water

Frogs are mostly carnivorous. Smaller frogs feed on insects, crickets, worms, caterpillars, moths and or larva. You will have to be prepared to store these critters in your house and add them to the frog vivarium on a regular basis. Larger frogs eat things like mice, other frogs and fish.

Most frogs don’t actually drink water; they soak it in through their damp, stretchy skin. This means that frogs not living exclusively in water will still need to live in a frog vivarium with various water sources, i.e. a water dish, damp moss and plants, and humid air.

Cleaning a Frog Vivarium

Keeping a frog vivarium clean is essential to the health and livelihood of your frog and also to you and others in your home. Vivariums should be maintained daily, with a monthly deep clean.

Before touching any part of the frog vivarium or aquarium, make sure that your hands are exceptionally clean. Seemingly harmless things like lotion or soap residue can be life-threatening to many frogs.

Regular cleaning prevents residue build-up in the frog vivarium that can become toxic to the frog. Also frogs shed their skin regularly. Some frogs will eat up the molted skin but for those that don’t, it should be removed from the vivarium as part of the cleaning process. All frog vivarium furnishings should be included in the deep-cleaning process. Moss and plants should also be regularly cleaned, or even replaced to ensure a healthy frog vivarium.

Fun Frog Facts

There are approximately 5,200 known species and subspecies of frogs and toads.
Toads are classified as frogs, but can be distinguished by unique characteristics like their dry skin, or how they lay eggs.
Frogs have lungs, but often also breathe through their skin.
Frogs are found on every continent except Antarctica.
A frog’s tongue attaches to the front of its mouth. It can release, catch prey and retract within 15/100th of a second.
The correct word for a group of frogs is an army. A group of toads is called a knot.
A frog blinks while swallowing which moves the eyes so they push down on the mouth and help move the food down.
All frogs are tail-less and many have teeth.
In Australia, a special license is required to have a pet frog.
Some frogs can lay up to 4,000 eggs at one time.
African Clawed Frogs were used to test for pregnancy in the past. When injected with urine from pregnant woman, females will lay eggs within two days because of the pregnancy hormone HCG.
African Clawed Frogs have been used in other areas of scientific research. They were the first vertebrates to be cloned and were taken into space in 1992!
Many frogs are cannibalistic. Larger frogs may eat smaller ones and some frogs even eat the eggs they lay.
On the other hand, some species of male frogs guard their eggs intently until they hatch.