Frogs are some of the most diverse animals on the planet, making the finer points of setting up a frog terrarium at home a little difficult once you get into the specifics of each species' environmental requirements. But there are a few things to get you started if you are thinking of taking on one of Britain's fastest-growing pets:

Glass terrariums for frogs

It will come as no surprise that frogs mainly enjoy a humid atmosphere and environment. Mostly found around wetlands, ponds and in tropical rainforests, water is incredibly important to frogs, with many species laying their eggs in large bodies of it, or simply using the moisture to maintain their slime layer.

For this reason, most frogs are kept in glass terrariums. This is because of the isolative properties of these glass reptile boxes when it comes to retaining moisture. You can find some great glass terrariums in our Exo Terra range.

While many have attempted to keep frogs in wooden vivariums, this doesn't tend to end well, with the wood becoming saturated, warping and becoming unusable quickly. Instead, a terrarium sealed with aquarium sealant around the bottom and edges is the best way forward, with ventilation nets or ports on the top to allow for fresh air, and to stop the frog from hopping out! For this escapologist reason, open-topped turtle terrariums are seldom suitable for frogs either.

Shape and size of terrarium

Once again, this is likely to depend on what kind of species of frog you are looking to keep. Tree climbing frogs may enjoy a more arboreal terrarium, adorned with branches and vines for climbing and hiding amongst.

Others may prefer a low, long terrarium with plenty of room to hop around, and possibly an area that is completely aquatic, cleaned using a turtle filter for them to have a swim in, or lay eggs (if you are planning to breed).

Of course, communities of frogs will require bigger terrariums, and many, including most species of dart frog will live happily this way.

Humidity

Other than pools that form part of your frog setup (or in some cases, just slightly sunken water dishes will suffice), the air in your frog terrarium needs to be kept humid too. How humid, depends on the type of frog species you are keeping, but there are plenty of ways to go about it, from misters, humidifiers, rainmakers and more.

At the simple and inexpensive end of the spectrum, a simple spray mister can be used to great effect, however, this will require you to constantly monitor the humidity using a hydrometer, and spray more water on when needed.

At the top end, you can set up foggers and rainmakers to automatically simulate a mini rainstorm or morning fog in your frog terrarium. Setup so it can be left alone to generate humidity when needed, these are undoubtedly the best way forward, freeing up your time while ensuring your frogs get a good soaking.

Substrates

The best frog substrates aid with humidity. Try things like natural mosses over a bed of bioactive soil, laid over hydro balls to help maintain the moisture levels in the air, but remember to cater to the needs of the specific species you are looking after.

Some good beginner frogs

There are quite a few examples of frogs in the pet trade that make great beginner options, such as the Pacman frog or Ornate pacman frog, Whites tree frogs, Chubby frogs, certain Dart frog species and many more.