Using Frogs in the Classroom

Prepared by the Alberta Conservation Association in conjunction with Alberta Fish and Wildlife.

Keeping wildlife in the classroom can provide inspiring opportunities for students, leading to a greater understanding of and appreciation for animals and their habitats. Caring for live animals can help students develop responsible attitudes, respect and compassion for wildlife and the environment. It encourages observation skills and can help students to learn about life cycles, habitat and identification. However, before you begin, you might want to consider some of the following background information. Unfortunately, wildlife is generally poorly adapted to a classroom setting, and animals collected from the wild and then returned usually have a low survival rate.

Is Keeping Frogs in the Classroom Legal?

In Alberta, there are only two frog species and one toad species that you may legally keep in your classroom:

• Wood frog
• Boreal chorus frog
• Boreal toad

For proper identification of these species and other amphibians of Alberta, visit the Amphibians page of Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development.

Key Concerns

Even if it is legal, there are many reasons why biologists don’t recommend keeping frogs outside of their natural settings.

Complex Needs

Even more so than other classroom animals, amphibians and reptiles require specific environments and special care that may be difficult to meet effectively.

Low Survival and Uncertainties After Release

When an amphibian is taken into captivity and later released into the wild, their survival rate goes down considerably as the frog has been accustomed to a confined space with a regular food source and no predators.

In addition, frogs are closely tied to seasonal cycles that involve length of daylight hours and air temperatures. Disturbance of their schedules could have deleterious effects on the animals upon release and subsequently, the population.

Tadpoles: Lifecycle Challenges

Frogs can be difficult to rear in captivity, particularly if gathered at the egg or tadpole stage. As tadpoles mature, they need live food sources. Even if live food is provided, successful rearing of froglets is difficult because of water quality concerns and other habitat requirements, including crowding.

Buying Frog Eggs

Frog eggs are available through various biological supply companies (usually from the United States) and some pet stores. These frogs are reared for the purposes of “captive living.” The problem with rearing frogs from biological suppliers or pet stores is the desire to release them from captivity into the wild. This presents a risk of introducing disease and altering native frog gene pools through interbreeding if the captive-raised frogs are released. These factors can cause serious ecosystem threats and may reduce the survival of native frogs in Alberta.

Alternatives: What Else Can I do?

There has been an overall decline of amphibian populations across the country and around the world, which may make bringing frogs into the classroom an enticing endeavor. However, given all the risks this carries, teachers may opt to instead teach students the importance of conserving wild areas for species that belong there.

Field Observation

Students could model the behaviour of biologists – that is, study amphibians and other plants and animals in their natural habitat. Monitoring frogs and other amphibians in the wild allows us to understand not only the frog, but learn its habitat requirements at different times of the year as well as its appearance during different stages of its life cycle.

It’s fairly easy to find and observe eggs, tadpoles and frogs in the wild. However, care must be taken to not trample the edges of ponds, and to handle frogs with care (no lotion or sunscreen on hands, etc.).

Alberta Amphibian Monitoring Program

There is an opportunity for you and your students to become involved in a province-wide program that monitors amphibian populations. Information about the Alberta Amphibian Monitoring Program is available through Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development. This program encourages the public, including classrooms, to monitor the natural environment for amphibians. Observations can be sent into the province, where they will be recorded and will contribute greatly to Alberta’s database of amphibian populations. A grade 5/6 teacher’s guide that complements the monitoring program is also available.

Encourage Critical Thinking

We hope this information helps you make an informed decision that will benefit both your students as well as amphibians. You may want to discuss with your students the pros and cons for keeping frogs and have them discuss what they think would be better now that they have researched the idea.