Creating a Frog Pond

It is relatively easy to create a wetland habitat in your backyard that will attract frogs. The transportation of tadpoles from one area to another is prohibited, but if you want to have some amphibian friends in your backyard, just create a frog friendly environment and they will move in.

What to Avoid

Frogs have a moist skin that is permeable by both air and water. Therefore they are very sensitive to any pollutants in the water and air in their habitat. The first step to encouraging frogs to move in to your backyard is to limit the use of any herbicides, pesticides or other contaminants. Cats, Dogs and Birds may also kill frogs, so it is important to provide areas surrounding the pond where frogs can shelter.

Creating the Right Environment

Obviously, you need to provide water, so the first component of your frog home is the pond. The pond may be constructed out of any suitable material, but if concrete is used it will take some time before the water environment will be suitable for frogs.

It is not necessary to have perfectly still water, but some areas of the pond will need still water. Therefore, it is acceptable to have a small water feature running in your frog pond. Providing shallows at the edges of the pond is advantageous, as is landscaping with rocks in and around the pond.

It is best if there are several depths in the pond, so that a mix of aquatic plants can be used. Finally, the area around the pond should be planted to provide shelter and to shade the edges of the pond.

Plants to Use

Aquatics

Marsilea drummondii (Nardoo), Ranunculus innundatus, Myriophyllum crispatum (Parrots Feather), Water Lilies, Elodea, Vallniseria

Grasses and Sedges

Restio tetraphyllus, Carex appressa, Acorus, Lomandra longifolia, Juncus, Dianella tasmanica

Groundcovers

Brachyscome, Chrysocephalum, Schleranthus biflorus, Myoporum parvifolium, Viola hederacaea, Dichondra repens

Trees and Shrubs

Pomaderris aspera, Leptospermum lanigerum, Olearia, Lophostemon confertus

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