Frogs Australia Network - Creating Frog Habitat

Replanted Frog Habitat
© Craig Cleeland

By planting native plants and building a pond you can create an ideal habitat for frogs that live in your local area. Frog-friendly gardens are an easy way to help frogs survive.

Creating a frog-friendly garden

Many frog populations are declining as their habitats are destroyed by human activities. This means people and frogs are coming into contact more often, so we need to be able co-exist. Through creating suitable habitats for frogs we may help our common and possibly threatened frogs survive.

Frog-friendly yards may provide pathways for frogs to move across the urban landscape. When creating a habitat for frogs make sure you provide:

lots of plants, especially natives
plenty of ground cover
rocks
logs
leaf litter
moisture

If you are really keen you can build a frog pond.

Building a frog pond

A frog pond will provide water for frogs to breed, find food and stay moist. Frog ponds do not have to be elaborate to be successful. Follow the tips below to create a successful frog habitat.

Placement

the pond should be part sunny, part shady, but not directly under trees
look for a low point in your yard where water naturally collects
since frogs can be noisy locate away from windows and your neighbours house
check for underground pipes before digging

Dimensions

The frog pond should have:

shallow edges
a flat base
be at least 50 cm in depth in one spot

In and around the edge

The frog pond should have:

rocks, logs and plants in and around the pond edges
plants and logs in the pond
the base covered with washed sand or gravel

Additional tips

a circulating pump with make the water less appealing for mosquitoes
water lilies help discourage algal blooms

Things to remember:

make sure young children do not have access to the pond
do not relocate frogs from or to your pond
do not put exotic fish in your pond, only native fish from your local area
avoid using chemicals and insecticides near your pond
avoid using noxious weeds like water hyacinth and salvinia
check if there are any regulations in your area about building frog ponds

State frog pond links

Frogs around Australia have different requirements. Where you live will affect the habitat you create and the plants and fish you place in it. For frog pond information from your state visit the following links.

New South Wales frog pond information

New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service

How to create your own frog habitat
http://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/npws.nsf/Content/How+to+create+your+own+frog+habitat

Backyard Buddies - Frogs
http://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/npws.nsf/Content/backyard_buddies_frogs

Frog and Tadpole Study Group of New South Wales

This site provides fact sheets about 'Keeping frogs in your garden' and 'Establishing frog habitats on your property'.
http://www.fats.org.au/

Australian Capital Territory frog pond information

Environment ACT

This site has a fact sheet on frog ponds in backyards.
http://www.environment.act.gov.au/petsandlocalwildlife/frogpondsinbackyards.html

Queensland frog pond information

Queensland Museum

Information on making your garden frog friendly.
http://www.qmuseum.qld.gov.au/features/frogs/attracting.asp

Frog decline reversal project
This site has information about building frog ponds in the tropics.
http://www.fdrproject.org/pages/ponds.htm

Queensland Government

Information on frog ponds
http://www.epa.qld.gov.au/nature_conservation/wildlife/caring_for_wildlife/frog_ponds/

Victorian frog pond information

Knox Environment Society

Information on creating a frog pond
http://home.vicnet.net.au/~kes/CreatingFrogPond.html

South Australian frog pond information

Environment Protection Authority - Frog Census
Frog ponds for gardens
http://www.epa.sa.gov.au/frogcensus/reading.html

Catchment board of South Australia
How to make a frog pond friendly
http://www.cwmb.sa.gov.au/kwc/section3/3-07.htm

Western Australian frog pond information

Western Australian Museum - Alcoa frog watch
Information on planning your frog friendly garden
http://heini.museum.wa.gov.au/frogwatch/pages/frames.html

Northern Territory frog pond information

Our Territory
Information on how to build a frog pond and exclude Cane Toads
http://www.ourterritory.com/frogs/treefrog_pond.htm

National frog pond information

Department of Environment and Heritage
Information on how to build a frog pond
http://www.deh.gov.au/education/facts/frogpond.html

Gardening Australia
Information about frogs in the garden
http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/stories/s728126.htm

Greening Australia
Attracting frogs to your garden
http://www.greeningaustralia.org.au/GA/NAT/TipsAndTools/EducationalResources/Library/Frogs.htm