Building an Outdoor Frog-friendly Pond
| Having an outdoor pond specially made for frogs can be a fun experience. It is best to naturally attract wild, native frogs. Store-bought frogs will most likely not be native to the area and if the humidity and temperature are not right, then the non-native frogs will not survive. On the other hand, if the non-native species do survive, then they will populate the area and upset the natural equilibrium of the surrounding ecosystem which is not good.
To attract native frogs to your pond, it is vital to recreate their natural habitat as much as possible. Ponds don't have to be very big and they should be stocked with a good variety of native plants in and outside of the pond to provide shade and shelter for the frogs as well as protection from predators. The plants will also attract insects which provided a great food source for the frogs. Frogs like quiet, peaceful and chemical-free water so no filtration devices, fancy waterfalls or yard chemicals near the pond. The pond should not be stocked with fish either because the fish will eat frog eggs and tadpoles. It is important that ponds stay naturally dirty and filled with organic material because it provides food for the frogs' natural prey and the algae growth is a good food source for the tadpoles. Once the pond is established to the correct natural standards, then the frogs will slowly move in and make your pond their new home. |