Introduction: Not long ago, little was known about breeding frogs in captivity. For many frog species, it seemed to be impossible without injecting them with hormones (LHRH), a technique that is still in use today. Thankfully, many frog species are now regularly bred commercially and hobbyists, who are responsible for developing many of the successful techniques, breed even more species. It is more important now than it ever has been to breed as many species as possible to help prevent some from going extinct, many are disappearing at an alarming rate.

The major breakthrough came when it was better understood how frog breeding is stimulated by seasonal climate changes, such as the start of the rainy season. Other factors, some that are subtle, may also come into play including day length, temperature, humidity and food availability/type of prey, etc. When these factors are simulated closely enough, the frogs are fooled into thinking the breeding cycle has begun and successful captive breeding is possible.

Greater knowledge about captive housing, nutrition and health issues contribute greatly towards better captive husbandry and successful breeding efforts. It is very helpful to know what the frogs natural habitat is like, specifically where it lives in the environment (the "microhabitat"). Access to scientific studies about them in the wild can be particularly useful if details about when, where and how they breed are included.

Habitat: The four basic habitat types are: 1) desert or arid, 2) savanna or dry forest, 3) jungle and 4) aquatic or semi-aquatic. Many variations fall between the different basic types and some may be a combination of types. Some frogs may need a very close approximation of their native environment, fortunately most are somewhat adaptable. More specific microhabitat requirements may be equally important. Moist and dry areas, burrowing needs, plant cover, hiding places, arboreal perches and access to water areas are all things to take into account.

Sexing: Of course, you must always be sure that you have a pair. Generally, only the males will sing, females are often heavier and may be larger. Sometimes individuals will appear to be one sex or the other and it will turn out to be wrong. Within a group, some simply stay smaller or grow larger/heavier than normal. In the case of African bullfrogs (Pyxies), the male is the larger one. A group of frogs may need to be acquired to increase the chances of getting at least one pair. This is almost always necessary with baby frogs. A group of five will give a good chance of ending up with a pair if all other factors are equal. Sometimes the frogs that are available will be in either male or female heavy lots. This may be due to collecting logistics; males call and are found, females are slower and easier to catch, etc. In the case of captive bred, temperature or other factors may influence developing eggs toward male or female. With azureus dart frogs, females are far more plentiful than males. The reason for this is not known. In any case, be wary of dealers that offer pairs of difficult to sex species, you may not get what you pay for. He will probably only be guessing (or worse) and just wants to make a sale, good for him, bad for you!

Competition between males may be helpful or even necessary for successful breeding. Playing a looped recording of the male’s call may stimulate other males to begin calling. You could try playing some Barry Manilo but it will probably only seem like it is helping! Frog porn is a definite no-no! Seriously though, mood setting can play an important role in frog breeding. Picture a quiet, moist evening after a spring shower, the air is sweet, your neighbors start to gather at the swimming hole, playing leap-frog, singing, wrestling, skinny dipping, and doing other stuff. It is a good time; you meet a pretty girl… Not very scientific but you get the idea.

Egg deposition sites and nests: Eggs can number from just a few to several thousand. Frogs are often very selective about where they breed and/or where they deposit their eggs. Efforts to mimic these needs in captivity can be tricky. Simply providing a water area may not do the trick or be everything that they need. Size and/or depth of the water may be important, as well as movement, shoreline configuration and water plants. Tree hole breeders need some kind of chamber with water in the bottom and a hole for access. Foam nest tree frogs may amplex in the water or bushes and then move to a branch overhanging the water to make the nest and lay eggs. Other frogs meet up on a leaf above water to mate and lay eggs. Many dart frogs breed in a moist secluded place on land, depositing the eggs on a leaf. In captivity, a half coconut shell is often provided to them and works well. Fossorial frogs may stay buried until a heavy rain soaks down to them. They dig out and are immediately ready to breed in the temporary pools that have formed. Not much is known about the breeding habits of most of the Leptopelis species from Africa. What is known is that some species lay eggs in nests or in the mud near water. The next heavy rain stimulates hatching and the tadpoles make their way into the water. Mantellas breed similarly but the tads are washed into the water by heavy rains. Some species breed on land and then transport the eggs to water in various ways. Others carry them until they develop into early or advanced tadpoles before depositing them in water, yet others even carry them to the froglet stage without using a water body at all. There are many other breeding strategies used by frogs. Research your frogs needs and go from there. Much more work needs to be done and helpful techniques should be shared freely for the benefit of frogs worldwide.

Cycling: Some frog species may need only to go through a cooling period, while others may need to actually hibernate. This coincides with shorter days, about 8 hours, less food (tapering down to no food at all) and usually lower humidity. Be sure to have water available in case they need some. Start the cycle gradually and take a few weeks to taper in to it and out of it. A one to three month period is generally adequate.

Estivation is similar to hibernation but involves hot, dry conditions. Usually, the frog will burrow in and sleep or remain inactive. Provide a water dish and a deep substrate, be sure that it does not dry out completely, some dampness should remain deep down. Day length does not matter underground but higher than normal temperatures may need to be maintained. Gradually taper in and out of this cycle also and it should last for one to three months.

Not all frogs need to go through either one of these at all. Some do not need it unless they are to be bred, while others must go through it yearly to remain healthy. Juveniles may benefit from skipping it altogether the first year. Hard cycling is very rough and can sometimes be fatal, the frogs must be in good health or it should be delayed until they are. Often, all that is needed for tropical frogs is a slightly cooler, dryer period (one to three months long) prior to the onset of the rainy season.

Conditioning: Prior to breeding attempts, the frogs should be given extra food and supplements. Females in particular need to be a bit fat and in good condition, males do better if not allowed to get too fat. Generally, two weeks or so of stuffing them will get them into good shape for the rigors of breeding.

Rain Chamber: Also called a hydration chamber. This is not useful for breeding all frogs but is a requirement for many species. Unless you have the right natural conditions where you live and are able to breed them in an outdoor cage, there simply is no other way. Large versions may be devised but the basic principle remains the same – make it rain. Rainfall times and duration are variable but usually it occurs in the evening or night and goes for a few hours. It may take a few days and nights or more before breeding begins.

Commercial hydration chambers were originally designed to test different products under wet conditions. Some may be available that have been adapted or specifically designed for frog purposes but constructing your own may be the way to go. One of the most efficient ones I have seen was made from a fiberglass tub/shower unit with clear glass shower doors and an added screen top. Water was re-circulated from a container under the drain back to the standard household showerhead.

If your water supply does not have any chlorine added to it, such as well water, it could be used directly to make rain as long as the water temperature is suitable. This would work great for an outdoor cage or a smaller cage that can be placed in the bathroom shower.

A re-circulating pump system may be the best way to go as long as the water is kept clean and changed often. This is most easily accomplished by having the water overflow from the rain chamber into an outside reservoir containing the pump. Simply empty the reservoir and refill it with fresh, de-chlorinated water of the appropriate temperature. An aquarium heater can be placed in the rain chamber, the reservoir or both.

Many different enclosures and rain delivery systems can be used. A simple design consists of an aquarium containing shallow water with a re-circulating pump that sprays water down from the lid or runs it through small diameter pipes with holes that allow the water to drip down. Some sort of pan or tray with drip holes throughout can be used as the lid instead, be sure to provide an overflow drain in case it overfills. With these designs, it is a bit more difficult to do water changes but over all they are easy to construct and use.

Larger, more elaborate designs may be needed to successfully breed some frogs, even a greenhouse. It will likely be some sort of variation of the rain chamber that is the key to getting many of the previously unsuccessfully bred species to finally reproduce in captivity. This is very important, often one new technique leads to others and in time, some species may be saved from extinction by innovative research done by dedicated hobbyists. These are my kind of people, doing this for the sheer joy of the accomplishment. Glory or recognition is not likely to ever be given; money spent will not be reimbursed. Imagine thousands of people doing this, the results of what they come up with is an important and substantial contribution to captive frog breeding.

Never reproduced in captivity: Start off by researching your frogs as thoroughly as you can and take note of similar species. Armed with this knowledge, join some on-line forums to ask questions and seek advice. Many knowledgeable experts can provide help for those in need, they are an invaluable asset. The specific expert you need may actually be the one that helps you or others may be able to refer you to hard-to-find helpful information. Those guys (and gals) are great, really only wanting to see us succeed so be sure to share any breakthroughs with the forum. Also make sure to mention if your results are preliminary to avoid arguments. This article may be second nature to many of them; they could even add additional information to it and may disagree with some parts. There are always different ways that people prefer to do things but we are all in this together for similar reasons and are part of the bigger picture. Follow the general guidelines and then adapt all that you have learned to your frogs. Learn from your failures and it is important to keep trying, don’t be discouraged, it may take some time. This should be a very enjoyable undertaking. Look for the missing piece of the puzzle; try different variations that may work. In the end you should be very gratified, even if you did not reach the goal, you did not fail. The search for knowledge is the main goal and that will have been reached in some way or another.

I personally do not have the resources to contribute as much as I would like to this effort. It really does not cost a lot of money but can use up a lot of time, time well spent I might add. Unfortunately, I am so busy that any extra (?) time is spent writing. Helpful techniques or breakthroughs submitted to us will be greatly appreciated and may be incorporated into an article or care sheet. If desired, due credit will be given to the person or organization responsible for it.

We hope that this article can help those who will pursue this interest. Good luck and God speed.

ENJOY YOUR PET LIFE FORMS, Dave & Donna