You should keep your frog or toad in a quiet area of your home, free of excessive human traffic or noise. Frogs and toads will not do as well if they are kept on top of television or stereo speakers, since they can be sensitive to sound vibrations.

The first step in housing your frog or toad may be to find out what type of habitat it is native to. Your goal in creating an enclosure for the frog or toad should usually be to basically mimic this habitat. While some species of frogs or toads are terrestrial (like Pac Man Frogs), most will need a set-up which includes both land and water (like Fire Bellied Toads). Others will need an enclosure consisting almost entirely of water (like African Dwarf Frogs). The habitat you wish to set up, be it terrestrial, half-and-half, or aquatic, will influence your decision as to the type of enclosure that you will use.

Frogs or toads will usually do quite well when housed in glass or plastic enclosures, as these materials are non-abrasive, water impermeable and also let you clearly view your frog or toad. Slide-top terrariums are available for purchase and are fairly easy to clean and maintain. Arboreal species may most appreciate a terrarium with a bit of height, which can be achieved by turning such an enclosure on end. For aquatic species, you may wish to use a glass aquarium rather than a terrarium. This is because terrariums are made of thinner glass than aquariums, and when filled with water, they may leak or break. If you plan to keep a terrestrial or semi-aquatic species in an aquarium, try to be sure that it is well ventilated; you may find that a screen or mesh top will do this nicely. If your frog or toad has a tendency to abrade its nose on such a lid, pierced plastic may also work; or consider getting a taller enclosure. Some people may prefer to use a wood enclosure when housing their frog or toad. The wood should be waterproofed with a sealant such as fiberglass resin and allowed to air out. This way there will be no toxic fumes present from the sealant when you place your amphibian in the enclosure. For viewing, you may also wish to use a wood enclosure that has one or more glass walls.

Generally you will not need a special type of lighting for most species of frogs or toads. You may not want to provide too much light for some nocturnal species of frogs and toads, as this can cause stress to them. Species who are native to rainforests or similar tropical climates may not do well with direct light, as in their natural habitat sunlight is diffused by many layers of forest foliage. You may reproduce such a setting in your own home by using plants in your frog or toad's enclosure to allow him shady spots to hide in. You will usually have to control the length of daylight in your frog or toad's enclosure. This can be done by attaching the light to a simple timer to create regular periods of light and dark. There are timers available that will allow you to automatically simulate seasonal change through varying the photoperiod. These timers require minimal effort on your part; simply set the mechanism and it should continue to function without your help.

Frogs and toads are cold blooded and cannot produce their own heat. This means that your frog or toad's body temperature will essentially match that of its environment. Each frog and toad will have an optimal temperature at which it will thrive. After you have determined the temperature at which your frog or toad will best live, you can usually provide heat for it in several ways. Some people use ceramic heating elements over the cage for basking areas, or other people choose to use heating pads or heat tape under one end of the cage. It may not be wise to use an under cage heating element if you have a wood or plastic enclosure; these can occasionally cause fires. Special basking lamps are also available, as are nocturnal heat lamps. Most experienced frog or toad keepers will use a thermometer in their animal's enclosures in order to know whether or not their animal is living in a suitable temperature range. In enclosures filled with water, an underwater heater and thermometer will usually be needed. Generally, in order to keep your frogs and toads in optimal health, the daytime temperature should be accompanied by a nightly temperature drop.

Although some may be aquatic, many frogs or toads are terrestrial or semi-aquatic and might need a high level of humidity in their enclosure, with a pond or bowl where they can soak. The bowl should be deep enough to allow the frog to almost fully immerse itself. You should try to choose a bowl that it is difficult or impossible for your amphibian to overturn. The water in the bowl should generally be dechlorinated, and you should try to keep it as clean as possible in order to prevent health complications for your frog or toad. Generally the water should be changed once daily. Humidity can be created in several ways. One way is to mist the enclosure. You can use distilled water, if you wish to prevent unsightly water spots from building up on the walls of the enclosure. Most frogs or toads will need to be misted daily. You should use dechlorinated water for misting them. Humidity may also be kept high by misting plants or other objects in the enclosure. Plants can be a valuable tool in creating humidity, as the water will form drops on their leaves, which your frog or toad may benefit from. Commercial products are also available that will constantly emit a fine water mist. These can be left in the enclosure, and many come in attractive shapes and forms. Humidified hiding areas can be created as well, by placing a damp substrate like peat or sphagnum moss inside a hut or hide box. The covering will help trap the humidity inside the hiding area. If you wish to know the exact humidity level in your frog or toad's enclosure, you may wish purchase a humidity gauge. Some frogs or toads will thrive in tanks that are filled entirely with water. Others will do well in a half-and-half tank, with both water and land areas. If you create such an enclosure, be sure that your frog is able to crawl from the water to the land. You should add a few rocks or create a sloping area so your pet can move in or out of its pond. Very attractive vivariums can be created with plants, rocks, wood, etc. The best way to maintain aquatic tanks is to include a water filter, which will aid you in reducing or minimizing cleaning activities. This is not to say that you will not have to clean the tank regularly. Many people choose to "age" the water they intend for their amphibian's tank. This means that they let it sit in a clean bucket or bowl for about 48 hours to allow most of the chlorine in the water to be released into the air.

Placing a substrate in your frog or toad's enclosure can facilitate cleaning the enclosure in addition to helping keep your animal fairly clean. Newspaper, paper towels, or brown paper are choices that are fairly cheap. However, because of the humid nature of frog and toad enclosures, they may quickly become smelly and ruined as the animal comes in and out of its tank! Astroturf can work quite well as a substrate, especially if you have more than one piece. This way you can keep one in the cage while you clean the others. Indoor/Outdoor carpeting, or Astroturf, will also hold up under high moisture levels. Although some people choose to use sand or gravel as a substrate for their frogs and toads, these are not recommended, as they are often ingested by the amphibian and can cause digestive impactions. However, sometimes these substrates are utilized underwater with minimal danger of ingestion. Sometimes bark chips may be utilized, although redwood and cedar should not be used as they may be toxic to your animal. A mixture of natural substrates such as soil, bark, and moss may be a good substrate for your amphibian. Again, be sure that the pieces are too big to be easily ingested by your animal.

Inside the cage, decorations may or may not be present. Most people keeping arboreal species will find that some wood or branches in the cage will make their animal feel comfortable, giving it the opportunity to climb. Other people will provide fake or living plants in their frog or toad's enclosure, which look nice but also help in maintaining humidity levels. Pothos or Philodendron plants may be good choices for some arboreal species, as they are usually hardy. Large rocks or smooth planks will also most likely be used by your frog or toad should you choose to include them. If your frog or toad's tank is entirely filled with water, you should have a small floating island or dry land area available for your animal to get out of the water. Some animals who will spend the majority of their time underwater will not eat underwater, and then it may be essential to have a dry land structure or area. All frogs and toads, whether aquatic, terrestrial, or both, will usually need some sort of hiding area where they may retreat should they become stressed. Simple structures like overhanging or floating plant leaves or even box-like huts will all work well for such a purpose.

The type and design of your enclosure as well as the inhabitants will determine how often you need to clean the enclosure. For major cleanings, you should place your animal in a separate enclosure, as most items in the enclosure should be cleaned. There are two types of cleaners available for use: mechanical cleaners and disinfectants. Both types are important in maintaining cleanliness. A mechanical cleaner will aid in physically removing dirt or other soiling. A disinfectant will help kill germs. You should use the mechanical cleaner before the disinfectant. Many people prefer to use a bleach and water solution to clean their amphibian enclosures. Your veterinarian may also have recommendations. Commercial household cleaners should generally be avoided, as they may contain ingredients that are toxic. No matter what you use, be sure that you rinse the enclosure thoroughly once you have finished. Remaining residue can cause health problems for your frog or toad. If you have an aquatic frog or toad, you may wish to feed it in a separate enclosure. This will prevent the water from becoming quickly dirtied with food items, and it will also aid in preventing food items from clogging your water filter. Some aquatic frogs may need very still waters, and filters will generally not be advisable for use in these frogs' cages.

Although some species of frogs or toads may be kept together, and some may even be kept with other amphibians or fish, it is generally best to keep them by themselves unless you are certain that they are compatible. This is because they can and will eat other animals. Also, other amphibians may carry diseases which your species of frog or toad has no resistance to. Additionally, the skin secretions of some frogs or toads may be toxic to other animals. If you must keep more than one frog or toad in the same enclosure, it is generally best to keep animals of the same species together rather than to mix species.

Part One - Introduction	Part Three - Diet
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