Whether you relocate the frog or bring it indoors will depend on your community (especially whether any ponds/lakes are nearby), as well as your ability to care for a frog over the winter. If you’re conflicted on what to do, talk to a local wildlife biologist. Most colleges and universities have wildlife experts, and some high schools may have wildlife biologists as well.
Consider putting down a bed of gravel in part or all of the aquarium, depending on the type of frog you’re caring for. Tree frogs will probably prefer a sterile mix of sand and potting soil. Provide plants in aquatic environments. Frogs that hibernate underwater need to be able to take in adequate oxygen through their skin underwater, which means they’ll need lots of photosynthetic plants in the water with them. [4] X Research source Some frogs will attempt to eat other frogs. For this reason, it’s best to keep frogs of the same size together in the same tank, if you plan on caring for multiple frogs.
Frogs often eat more food than usual to fatten up before hibernation. Make sure your frog has enough food to eat each day to ensure a healthy hibernation period. [6] X Research source Frogs typically enjoy insects and slugs, as these are readily available in most habitats frogs naturally live in. [7] X Research source You can buy crickets and dechlorination drops at most pet stores.
Tree frogs (including chorus frogs, peepers, and gray tree frogs) typically hibernate on land, often by burying themselves in the soil. These frogs may need a deeper, richer soil substrate for digging and hibernation. Certain tree frogs, like the wood frog and spring peeper, cannot dig in the soil. Instead, these frogs crawl into spaces in cracked logs or rocks, or occasionally bury themselves in leaves on the ground. [8] X Research source True frogs (leopard frogs, green frogs, and bullfrogs) usually hibernate in lakes and ponds. These types of frogs will require a larger aquatic environment to hibernate in.
Amphibians in the northern United States typically prefer something in the 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit (18 to 24 degrees Celsius) range, though you should never exceed 80 degrees Fahrenheit (26. 7 degrees Celsius) unless it is a tropical frog species. Tropical frogs like the Argentine Horned Frog and the African Bull Frog typically need temperatures around 80 degrees Fahrenheit (26. 7 degrees Celsius) in order to survive. Talk to an amphibian expert at your local pet store to determine what species you’re caring for and whether that species needs a heat lamp.
Some frogs prefer to hibernate in water. Make sure the water dish in your tank is large enough to accommodate a sitting frog.
Do not release frogs near roadways. Many frogs are hit by vehicles while trying to cross roads during mating season. Release your wild frog as close to a lake or pond as possible, and do not disturb it once you’ve released it. Don’t be alarmed if the frog leaves the pond you return it to. Many frogs will stay away from water until they reach sexual maturity (which usually takes two to three years), and frogs generally stay away from water after breeding.
If a cold spell comes on suddenly, you can rescue the spawn from a wild frog by scooping them up in a bucket. Keep them indoors until the weather gets slightly warmer and frost is no longer a factor. When you release the spawn, make sure you do so in the same pond that you rescued them from. Do not attempt to raise spawn. Only take them indoors to save them from a frost, and return them to the wild as soon as possible.
