Urban Ecoist

If you have not heard or read about it, you may not know that frogs and amphibians are in trouble. Reports of declining numbers are coming in from all parts of the Earth, and if it helps, think of an amphibian as a canary in a coalmine. Amphibians are good bio-indicators of ecological health. This is mostly due to the fact that frogs and amphibians have permeable skin, and having such, amphibians tend to “soak up” pollutants and other chemicals more easily. The pollution also bio-accumulates in amphibians, so effects of said chemicals can be more palpable than in other creatures. Amphibians also spend their lives in both water and on land, so they get the, er, worst of both worlds. In other words, frogs are rather fragile, and when the world becomes too dry or polluted, they die.

So why not turn your little plot of potential wildlife habitat of a back or front yard into a frog sanctuary.

It’s easier than you think. But you will need to put in a pond. Ponds can be simple or you can go crazy. But if you ever needed a reason to put in a small pond in the backyard, this is it. Do it for the frogs.

Frogs like fresh water and lots of cover. If you have a bigger pond, you can have both fish and frogs, but for the most part, you may have to choose frogs over fish. You see, eggs and tadpoles are like candy to fish, so frogs won’t move in if fish are around. If you have one of those two-tier ponds, you could have frogs in the top and fish in the bottom. Or you try to create a barrier in your pond with rocks, which frogs also happen to enjoy.

Other things to keep in mind. Frogs need gently sloping walls, not straight ones. Also, make sure to include some aquatic plants in your frog pond. Keep your water clean, and as frogs are voracious insect eaters, you shouldn’t have to worry about mosquitoes, but of course, keep the water fresh and clean all the same.

If you are using city water, you may want to let the chlorine blow off of your water before adding it to your pond. Chlorine blows off fast when the water is left out in the sun. Frogs are sensitive to chlorine, so try not to add water out of the tap into your pond. Let it sit out in a bucket or four for a few days.

Outside the pond, have lost of groundcover plants and shrubs around the yard. Frogs don’t like a lot of direct sunlight, so if you have a shady garden, you are one step in the right direction already. Frogs also like rocks and logs around which to make their homes.

backyard habitat, wildlife, frogs, amphibians, insects, healthy, bio-indicators, ecology, ecological health, environment, urban garden, pond, plants