Frogs as pets

A captive poison dart frog (Dendrobates leucomelas) in its habitat with a UK 2p coin for scale.

Frogs have become a popular exotic pet. They can be kept in basic conditions, compared to reptiles. They are not expensive and their food is easily purchased. Common pet frogs includes ranids, hylids, bufonids, leptodactylids, and dendrobatids.

Pet frogs can be fed a lot of different live foods. These include crickets, rodents and fish. Small pet frogs will only eat crickets, fruit flies, springtails and other small arthropods. Medium-sized pet frogs can be fed larger crickets, mealworms, butterworms, silkworms, grasshoppers and small fish. Large pet frogs like Ceratophrys can be fed small fish, other frogs, reptiles, and small mammals such as mice or rats.

Amphibians of all sizes would need different terrariums. Tree frogs like to climb and can escape if a pet owner does not add a top cover for their tanks. Semi-aquatic amphibians need both land and water divided in the tank. Tropical frogs would need mist and high humidity in their terrariums. All water for amphibians must be dechlorinated. The chlorine can kill amphibians, and may be in tap water. Many amphibians are popular exotic pets and are found in some pet stores.