How to Hatch Frog Eggs Indoors

Hatching frog eggs and raising frogs can be a fun and educational activity in the classroom or at home. The change from egg to tadpole and then to froglet and frog is fascinating and can teach both children and adults the processes involved in natural life cycles. Frog eggs are easily found in ponds and creeks, and the hatching process does not require much time or energy.

Things You'll Need

  • Small fishing net
  • Jar or similar container
  • Dechlorinator (available from pet stores)
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Instructions

    • 1

      Check with your local government about rules and regulations concerning frog and egg collections in your area. Some states and counties require a permission or license to protect volatile species, and regulate egg-hunting activities to prevent the spread of diseases. Collecting eggs from parks and nature reserves is usually prohibited.

    • 2

      Prepare a container with water. The size of the container and amount of water depends on how many eggs you wish to hatch. As a rule, one gallon of water is sufficient for two tadpoles. The water should come from the same area where you collect your eggs. If you get the frog eggs from a different source, you need to prepare dechlorinated water by either filling a container and letting it stand for up to a week so that the chlorine dissipates, or by using dechlorination treatment according to the instructions on the bottle.

    • 3

      Collect the frog eggs from a habitat by submerging a small dip net or jar in the water. Transfer the eggs to a jar and note how they were positioned in the water. If you found the eggs floating on the surface of the water, they should continue to float in the jar. Eggs collected closer to the bottom of the pond or creek should sink when transferred. If the eggs change their position while in your home, they may have died. Dead frog eggs usually have a white or opaque color, depending on the species. Live eggs often are a clear jelly with a small black nucleus.

    • 4

      Place the frog eggs in the previously prepared container. Even though the eggs are collected from an outside source, they will have no problems being transferred to a safer, indoor facility. Do not expose the container to direct sunlight, as that will creative excessive algae production. Algae take away oxygen from the eggs and delay or prevent their hatching. However, the eggs should not be kept in the dark. Find a spot in the house that is most similar to the lighting and temperature conditions in the place where you found the eggs.

    • 5

      Top up the water in the container every day to make up for condensation loss. Try not to disarrange the eggs while adding the water, and only use dechlorinated water or liquid from the source where the eggs came from originally. Frog eggs do not need to be fed, and should be left to develop undisturbed. Depending upon the species and the time you collected them, the eggs should transform into tadpoles within a few days to a month. Some foreign species can take up to several months to hatch.