One last reminder: always wash your hands after having handled your captives. The skin secretions can be very irritating to the eyes.
Housing Your Captive Toad or Frog.
As with salamanders, the toads and frogs can be put into two categories: 1. Aquatic, and 2. Terrestrial (living on land). Both types of amphibians can be successfully kept in aquaria.
American Toad
Bufo a. americanus.
1. Aquatic and semi-aquatic toads and frogs. The truly aquatic toads and frogs that are often kept in captivity by amateur herpetologists are the South American Surinam toad, Pipa pipa, and the African clawed frog, Xenopus laevis. Both forms can be kept in a 10-gallon aquarium with gravel on the bottom, a few rocks, and some aquatic plants. A secure top should always cover the top of the aquarium. The water should be filtered, and a temperature of 70 to 78°F will do nicely for these species. The water level of the aquarium can be from 6 to 10 inches.
Many of the true frogs (genus Rana) can be kept in a semi-aquatic condition. That is, a few inches of water on one end of the aquarium, and some type of land area on the other end. In this way, the frog can either be in the water or out—whatever it wishes. One way to set up this situation would be to use a 10-gallon aquarium with a little gravel on the bottom, and a few large, flat rocks for the frogs to climb onto can be put in. A screen top must be put on the top to keep the frogs inside. If bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana) are to be kept, a 15 or 20-gallon aquarium would be needed. With this set-up, the water should be changed at least twice per week. To give the amphibians a sense of security, the back and sides of the aquarium should be painted a dark brown or black (paint the outside glass). Try to avoid any bright lights over your toads’ or frogs’ aquarium.
2. Terrestrial and Arboreal Species. All of our native toads are adapted to life on land. In captivity they will do well if given a few inches of soil (⅓ black dirt, ⅓ peat moss, and ⅓ fine sand), a few pieces of bark to hide under, and a small, shallow water dish. A 5 or 10-gallon aquarium will do. The sides and back should be painted a dark brown or black, and a screen top will be needed to keep them inside. The soil mixture should be replaced every few weeks for proper sanitation. If the soil mixture becomes too wet, it should be replaced.
Besides most toads, the South American horned frog, Ceratophrys, the African burrowing frog, Pyxicephalus, and the spadefoot toads, Scaphippus, can be kept in this type vivarium. However, if you notice that the bottom of the toads’ or frogs’ hind feet are becoming raw from too much digging, it may be best to keep them on wet paper towels rather than on any soil.