Friends With Frogs: How To Make Your Yard Amphibian Friendly

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Friends With Frogs

Leap Into a Frog Friendly Life

Creating safe havens for amphibians.

Amphibians, some of the most vulnerable creatures in the animal kingdom, are struggling to stay off the endangered species list. We must step in and take action quickly if we want our grandchildren, and their grandchildren, to experience the joy of watching frog colonies hop around in the rain.

One way you can make a positive impact on frogs and amphibians is by making your yard, no matter how big or small, a safe space for them to seek refuge. By doing this, you not only provide habitat for potentially struggling creatures, but you also get to experience more wildlife right outside your home. This would also be a great learning opportunity for children!

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Understanding Amphibians

In order to create safe and inviting habitats, we need to understand the creatures they are intended for. By fully understanding the animals for which we are creating habitats, we can avoid many mistakes. It is beneficial to have a general understanding of the critters in your yard in any case.

So what are the most important things you need to know about amphibians? Lets go over the top facts!

Extremely sensitive skin!

All amphibians absorb substances through their skin, and some even breathe through their skin. This makes most chemicals a fatal substance for amphibians. Therefore, even if you don’t use weed killers or poisons around your home, you must still be mindful of other liquids such as antifreeze or motor oil.

Not considered handle-able

This goes hand in hand with their sensitive skin. I would compare a dry hand touching an amphibian to touching your eyeball with a dry finger (not comfortable). Not only is it unpleasant for them, but they can also absorb harmful substances or oils from making contact with your skin. If you must move an amphibian, it is best to use nontoxic, disposable gloves or to wash and wet your hands first.

Potential prey items for many other animals

Many types of birds, cats, dogs, and even squirrels are known to prey on amphibians. So be wary of where you place their intended space and provide plenty of hiding places!

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Miniature Ponds

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Miniature Amphibian Ponds

Mini frog ponds may very well be the best way to welcome amphibians to your property. The amount of creative freedom you have when creating a mini pond is almost endless! Just keep in mind the main facts about amphibians listed above, and a few other essentials we will mention about miniature ponds. If these guidelines are properly followed while creating your own pond, you will create a wonderful haven for these fascinating creatures.
Firstly, a few important details concerning amphibian ponds need to be mentioned. The container you use must be watertight with an easy entrance and exit point. An exit is easy to make by piling pebbles on one side that can be used as a sort of “staircase”. However, when choosing your container, you may prefer a built-in access and exit point.
Another important component is water. The safest water to use would be rainwater! Remember, amphibians absorb water through their skin, so it is important that the water you use is free of toxins and chemicals, including chlorine.
It is also important to have some sort of filtration system as well as a place for visiting guests to hide. A solution for both of these would be water plants. Don’t worry! There are plenty of water plants that will do the job just fine with barely any maintenance. You don’t have to worry about buying several kinds of plants (unless you want to); you only need one or two to fulfill their purpose.
Go as big or as small as you like! Whether you decide to take it on as a DIY project or buy new, plenty of little critters will be sure to appreciate the slice of paradise you have provided for them!

AquaGarden Pond and Waterfall Kit Container Water Garden

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Aquascape Aquatic Patio Pond

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Arcadia Garden Swoop pot

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2 Water Lettuce + 2 Water Hyacinth Bundle

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Lotus Flower Seeds

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Natural River Rocks

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Sinking Poly Resin Aqualog

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Tree Frog Perches

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Tree Frog Houses

Tree frog houses take up very little space and are easy to set up! They provide a habitat and hiding space for tree frogs to enjoy. Building a house for tree frogs is a fun and simple DIY project to involve the kids in or to take on by yourself.
All you need for a tree frog house is a vertical hollow structure with a small top entrance to discourage intruders from entering. That’s it! I suggest using PVC piping as it is super easy to work with and put together. You may also consider making a “tree frog hotel” using a variety of piping sizes. As long as the pipes are between 1 1/2 to 4 inches in circumference, you can place as many as you want. Don’t be afraid to use your creativity! Kids could easily decorate PVC pipes, and they can also be modified to be essentially incognito.

JCs Wildlife Deluxe Poly Lumber Tree Frog House

On Amazon for $65.97

PVC Pipe (Cut to Custom Lengths) (3″ x 3′)

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3″ PVC Pipe Coupling Adapter

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PVC 90-Degree Elbow, 3-Inch

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Salamander Hides

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Salamander Hides

Let’s continue with the trend of easy setups. How hard is it to lay down a flat piece of wood on the ground? Not hard at all. Guess what! Creating a salamander hide is essentially the same thing!
Are there streams or creeks near your house? If there are, there is a good chance that salamanders may be nearby. These critters love dead, flat tree bark. Nothing too round or hard. They love to hide under something that holds in moisture, provides shade, has proficient airflow, and is close to a water source. Aluminum liner slat is a great option since it usually has grooves that act as a tunnel for airflow.
Mole salamanders may choose to burrow under salamander hides and hunt under them at night. If you ever lift one of these hides to peek for a salamander, remember to place them exactly as you found them! Salamanders may not be there when you look for them, but this does not mean that they are vacant.

Liner Slat

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Cork Bark Bits

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Natural Cork Bark Flat

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Toad Houses

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Toad Houses

Toad houses are essentially the same as a hamster or guinea pig house. A simple flower pot upside down with an opening would even suffice. Snake hides available at pet stores can also be used.
These are perfect to place underneath decks or porches. Shady places with leaf litter or moist soil are attractive to toads, so placing a toad house in one of these areas would be most ideal.
Decorative toad houses are readily available on Amazon, but homemade options can be just as practical and beautiful. If you are able to make your own out of pottery, just be sure to use weather-resistant coating to ensure that your creation will last. In my opinion, toad houses are one of the best ways to showcase your creativity while simultaneously displaying a love for animals.

Esschert Design Toadhouse

On Amazon for $24.00

Ceramic Frog and Toad House

On Amazon for $42.00

Ceramic Toad House with Bath

On Amazon for $33.98

Toad House, Teal

On Amazon for $54.91

Hexagrowth Coco Hut

On Amazon for $9.20

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In Conclusion

Four options to invite frogs and other amphibian friends to your yard have been provided in this guide. Taking advantage of these ideas will certainly increase your odds of seeing frogs hop about their day closer to your home. Observing these little creatures brings me so much joy and reminds me to consider their fragility more in my daily life.

Amphibian populations are suffering due to many new dangers introduced to their habitats. Traffic blocking their access to natural breeding pools, chemicals dripping into water drains, weed killer accidentally absorbed through their skin, and drowning in backyard pools are all very real threats to the amphibian population. With the increase of invasive species being introduced into the U.S., the population of native amphibians will suffer even more. So, what little we can do for these innocent creatures must be done.

We hope you have enjoyed reading this guide and that you consider creating your own space for frogs and other amphibians. As always, we appreciate your readership and hope to have you back soon! Thank you!

-Fauna Grey

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