Build a Frog Hotel

Build a Frog Hotel to encourage frogs to come and live in your backyard. Not all frogs live in ponds and many can drown in deep water. Frog Hotels are a great option to provide habitats for local tree frogs.

Use FrogID to research the frogs that are found in you local area. This will help you work out what kind of habitat will suit your backyard best. A Frog Hotel is a great option for tree frogs and provide them a safe place to hide during the day.

You can use PVC pipe to create a habitat for tree frogs. Frog Tubes are an easy way to provide somewhere safe for tree frogs to live too. Use a 1 metre length of PVC pipe and stick the base in the ground to tie them to a tree. It provides a really moist environment for tree frogs to hide in. You can also make a Frog Hotel, check out the video below for step by step instructions.

Building a Frog Pond

Create a small shallow pond in an area that is partly shaded. Include thick ground hugging plants around part of the pond to provide areas of warmer and cooler water. Your pond will need some sunlight to encourage algae and other plants that provide food for tadpoles. Make sure the banks slope gently so that the frogs can get out. Add some rocks and logs to provide shelter for adult frogs.

• Ensure that your pond has shallow and deep areas of water, with a minimum of 50 cm in the deepest parts.
• Add in rocks, pebbles and dirt to cover the bottom of your pond
  • This will help to make sure that the sides aren’t too slippery for your frogs to get in and out.
• Add mulch, leaf litter, rocks and logs around the outside
  • This will give your frogs somewhere to hide from predators and to keep cool during the day.
• Check your local nursery for good native options for your area! Some options are:
  • Tussock Sedges,
  • Sedges and Nardoo for the shallow end
  • Marsh Flower, Purple Loosestrife, Tassel Sedge and Water Ribbons for deeper areas
  • Lomandra, Kangaroo Grass, Swamp Banksia, Saw-Leafed Sedge and Native Ginger for around the edges
• Native fish are great for mozzie control, the Pacific Blue Eye and Australian Smelt make great choices.

Education Resources

The Focus on Frogs workshop provides information and skills that will enable you and your child to discover what frogs live in your backyard or local area. After the presentation you can explore your own backyard or local park using the scientific techniques and observation you have learnt.

Find out what else you can do to create a wildlife friendly backyard with the What’s in your Backyard activity series.

• Making a Lizard Lounge
• Making a Dragonfly Garden
• Making an Insect Hotel