There are many species of animals that are grouped into the same family of frogs. Some of these frogs are poison free and safe for kids, while others are dangerous. As a newbie, how do you know the best frog species for a pet? This article “Best Beginner Friendly Pet Frogs” promises to give ample information in this regard to help your decision process.
Frogs are fascinating creatures that you can keep as a pet. Due to their mind-blowing personalities, many hobbyists are now choosing them as pets. However, they do not interact with humans like other conventional pets such as cats, dogs, etc.
Although keeping frogs as pets offers a stunning experience for some people, it is not for others. Some pet frogs are poisonous, while others may be too big to keep in a home environment. However, caring for frogs is not too complicated if you can set up a suitable habitat from the beginning.
There are numerous pet frog species out there, and choosing one may be quite tricky for beginners. In this article, we will list some of the best pet frogs that are suitable for beginners.
Contents
Are Frogs The Right Choice Of Pets For You?
Frogs are unique and fascinating creatures that you can keep as a pet. They are considered to be delicate amphibians. Furthermore, they have semi-permeable skin that absorbs anything in contact with it, which is why they can breathe underwater.
Frogs are available in a wide range of options, and not all of them are suitable for beginners. It is best to do thorough research before picking a pet frog to know about their proper care.
Things To Consider Before Choosing A Pet Frog
Some of the things that you should put into consideration before you decide on a pet frog are for you are stated below.
Pet Frogs Are Not Suitable For Handling
Some frog species like cane toads are usually responsive to their owners and can even feed on their owner’s hands. However, frogs are not the best pet if you are looking for a pet that you can handle. You should only handle your frogs when necessary and only with wet hands.
This is because frogs have extremely delicate skin, and any tear can make harmful bacteria enter their body. Furthermore, you can easily remove the mucus covering their skin by handling them.
They Need Clean Terrariums With Excellent Water Quality
Although frogs are hardy creatures, you can easily end their life by keeping them in a dirty terrarium with bad water quality. This is because frogs can absorb anything through their skin.
One of the common pollutants of frog terrarium is ammonia, which is usually excreted along with their poops. You will need an ammonia test kit, strong filtration, and partial water changes to help keep them healthy.
It Is Hard To Detect When They Are Stressed
Frogs have different ways of responding to stress, and it is hard to detect when stressed. However, some frogs leap away when threatened, while some just freeze. Furthermore, some inexperienced owners usually believe that they love handling when they are not leaping away.
Frogs can also be affected by the terrarium where they keep them. Furthermore, some are more suited for busy households while some are not.
They Need A Varied Diet
You should keep in mind that frogs cannot thrive for a long time only on a diet of mealworms and crickets. You will need to add other food items into their diet to keep them happy.
You can feed your frog with moths, grasshoppers, harvestmen, beetles, caterpillars, beetles, earthworms, butterworms, silkworms, roaches, sowbugs, hornworms, etc. You can also feed your pet frogs with snails, grasshoppers, and silkworms using a feeding tong.
13 Best Beginner Friendly Pet Frogs
Here are some of the best beginner pet frogs that you can keep as a pet. If you completely have no experience on keeping a frog, non-poisonous frogs are good for you. Some of non-poisonous frogs for starters are:
- Pacman Frog
- White’s Tree Frog
- African Dwarf Frog
- Red Eyed Tree Frog
- Pixie Frog
- Burmese Chubby Frog
- Budgett Frog
Some other frogs are poisonous but can be considered as good for beginners. The reasons why they are suitable for beginners are that the poison is very weak. You can look for some species below:
- Oriental Fire Bellied Toads
- Amazon Milk Frog
- Tomato Frog
- Waxy Monkey Frog
- American Green Tree Frog
- Gray Tree Frog
Below is the complete table where we compare some beginners friendly frogs based on some criteria such as size, colors, cost and poison.
| Best Beginner Pet Frogs | Size | Cost | Poisonous (Yes/No) |
| White’s Tree Frog | 3-4.5 inches | $40 – $80 | No |
| Oriental Fire Bellied Toads | Few inches | $15 – $25 | Yes |
| African Dwarf Frog | Around 3 inches | $4 | No |
| Pacman Frog | Around 6 inches | $15 – $50 | No |
| Amazon Milk Frog | 2.5 – 4 inches | $40 – $100 | Yes |
| Red Eyed Tree Frog | Around 2.5 inches | $25 – $75 | No |
| Tomato Frog | 4 – 5 inches | $20 – $50 | Yes |
| Pixie Frog | 6 – 10 inches | $25 – $75 | No |
| Burmese Chubby Frog | 2-3 inches | $10 – $30 | No |
| The Waxy Monkey Frog | 2 – 3 inches | $60 – $80 | Yes |
| The Budgett Frog | 4 – 5 inches | $60 | No |
| American Green Tree Frog | 1 – 2.5 | $10 | Yes |
| Gray Tree Frog | 1.25 – 2 inches | $8 – $20 | Yes |
White’s Tree Frog
White’s tree frogs are among the hardiest frog species, making them a perfect frog for beginner hobbyists. They are also called the Australian tree frog. They have a docile temperament, and you can easily care for and breed them.
White’s tree frog usually grows to about 3-4.5 inches in length and has a fat body. They have a muted color that ranges from soft green to bluish. Furthermore, they can live for about 20 years in captivity, and you can easily keep four of them in a 20-gallon aquarium.
They love daily misting and can even tolerate light handling.
Note: you should ensure that no chemicals or soap residue touch their skin.
Oriental Fire Bellied Toads
The oriental fire-bellied toads are among the most popular frogs kept as a pet in the UK. You can easily identify them by their bright green and orange coloration. They are semi-aquatic frog species and are diurnal, which means they are active during the day.
They usually grow to about a few inches in length and live for about ten years under optimal care. You can set up a semi-aquatic tank to help provide a suitable habitat for your oriental fire-bellied toads.
Note: Oriental fire-bellied toads are not suitable for kids due to their toxic skin, and you should avoid frequent handling.
African Dwarf Frog
The African Dwarf Frog is considered an aquatic frog and lives its entire life underwater. However, they don’t have gills and need to breathe at the water’s surface. African Dwarf frogs originate from Africa and are usually available in olive to brownish coloration.
You will need to provide your African dwarf frogs with heated water and an LED light system to keep them happy. African dwarf frogs usually grow to around 3 inches long and can live for around 5-10 years under optimal care.
They are suitable for beginner hobbyists with a background in keeping an aquarium. Furthermore, you can keep two African dwarf frogs in a 10-gallon aquarium tank. You can also keep them with peaceful community fish without any problem.
Note: African dwarf frogs love to stay in a planted tank in a serene location. However, you should ensure the tank is not overrun with plants that prevent your frog from getting to the water surface for air.
Pacman Frog
The Pacman frog is considered the most popular big frog to keep as a pet. People usually fall in love with them due to their round appearance and toughness. The best thing is that they can live alone and are quite easy to care for.
Pacman frogs usually grow to around 6 inches in length and can live for around 15 years under optimal care. Pacman frogs are not as active as other frogs as they spend most of their time underground and will only come out to soak in a water pool or eat.
Amazon Milk Frog
Amazon milk frogs are named after the poisonous, milky substance that they excrete when threatened in the wild. However, the captive amazon milk frog does not excrete this poison. Amazon milk frogs are also called the Gold Mission frog and Panda Bear Tree frogs.
The Amazon milk frog can be easily identified by its long snout used for pushing foliage aside when looking for food. They usually grow to around 2.5-4 inches in length.
Furthermore, they need a more advanced terrarium and ensure the humidity, lighting, and temperature in their tank do not fluctuate.
Note: Amazon milk frogs are sensitive to handling, and you should only handle them after wearing gloves to help protect their skin.
Red Eyed Tree Frog
The red eyed tree frog originates from South America and is among the most popular pet frogs out there. You can easily identify them by their lime-green skin with bulging bright red eyes.
Furthermore, they grow to about 2.5 inches in size and are more suitable for teenagers and adults. However, the red eyed tree frogs are very fragile, and they should only be handled occasionally.
Another thing is that they need intensive care, and you should only go for them if you are ready to invest your time to care for them.
Tomato Frog
Tomato frogs are perfect pet frogs for beginner hobbyists. You can easily identify them by their stocky and spherical body and their reddish top and orange belly. They are considered a large frog species as they can grow to about 4-5 inches in length.
Tomato frogs are known to be nocturnal, which means they are active at night and sleep during the day. Furthermore, they don’t like being handled, but you can interact with them when cleaning their enclosure.
Pixie Frog
The Pixie frog is also known as the Giant African Bullfrog, and they are among the unique frogs that beginners can keep as a pet. They are regarded as the second largest frog species as the males can grow to about 6-10 inches in size.
Furthermore, they are best kept alone due to their cannibalistic nature when housed together and need at least a 40-gallon terrarium. Pixie frogs usually have different personalities as some species can be handled while others get scared easily and act defensively.
The pixie frogs have a long lifespan and can live for more than 30 years in captivity. You can easily identify them by their bumpy green skin and have golden colors where their legs meet their bodies.
Note: pixie frogs have a strong bite due to their big teeth, and their bite can draw blood. It is best if you limit handling them to avoid hurting yourself.
Burmese Chubby Frog
The Burmese chubby frog is a large frog species that originates from Asia. Many beginner hobbyists opt for them due to their chubby appearance and easy care. This is because they do not require much space to live happily as you can keep them in a 10-gallon terrarium.
They usually grow to about 2-3 inches in length and live for about ten years under optimal care. Furthermore, Burmese chubby frogs usually adapt very quickly to new environments.
The Waxy Monkey Frog
The waxy monkey frog, also known as the leaf frog, originates from South America. You will find them fascinating due to their bright green body and inquisitive eyes.
However, you will need a humid setting that will look similar to the rainforests that they live in the wild to make them happy. The waxy monkey frogs are perfect for beginner hobbyists that will like to observe rather than interact.
The Budgett Frog
The Budgett frogs have a weird look with huge eyes. In the wild, they usually stay above the waterline while they hunt for food below the surface. You can also identify them with their large mouths that are just as wide as their little bodies.
Budgett frogs are suitable for beginner hobbyists because of their easy-care level. However, they are not that active during the day, which makes them quite boring to observe.
American Green Tree Frog
The American green tree frog originates from the central and southeastern United States. They are small-sized as they grow to around 1-2.5 inches in length and are green in color.
Furthermore, you don’t need a large tank to keep them as they can live happily in a 10-gallon tank with more height than width. They are suitable for beginner hobbyists due to their easy-care level.
This is because they do not need any special heating as they can live at room temperature without any issue unless the temperature goes below 70oF. However, they don’t have a long lifespan as they only live between 2-6 years.
Gray Tree Frogs
The gray tree frogs are considered tree-dwelling frog species, and they originate from North America and Canada. Furthermore, they are regarded as the smallest arboreal frog on this list. They are also very quick, which makes it quite difficult to catch them.
This makes handling stressful for the frog. However, they are best kept as a display pet, and you can comfortably house them in a small enclosure.
Wrapping Up
Frogs are one of the easy pets that you can keep, and they are known to thrive well even with a beginner ready to take good care of them. However, frogs are considered a good pet for hobbyists that do not need hands-on interaction with their pet.
You will surely be rewarded with unique observation experiences no matter the type of frog species you choose. However, you should ensure you researched about the species and know everything about their habitat set up before you do.