Data reference
Amphibian keeping, by the numbers
An original data reference on the 51 amphibians people actually keep — lifespan, adult size, difficulty and setup type, compiled from our fact-checked care sheets. The figures below all trace back to those sheets, so nothing here contradicts our care advice.
Updated July 2026
51kept species in our dataset
33%are beginner-friendly
13.2average lifespan (years)
22can live 20+ years
35%need cool temperatures
30longest typical lifespan (years)
What the data says
- The smallest amphibian we cover is the Mimic Poison Dart Frog (about 1–1 in (1.5–2.2 cm)), and the largest is the Amphiuma (up to 14–35 in (35–90 cm)).
- Longest-lived: Fire Salamander, Mudpuppy, Amphiuma, African Bullfrog, European Common Toad all commonly reach 10+ years — several can pass 20.
- 35% need cool temperatures (a ~72°F/22°C ceiling) — mostly the salamanders, newts and axolotls, which is why a "hardy" amphibian can struggle in a warm home.
- 33% are beginner-friendly, so there's a genuinely easy choice in most groups — the difficulty is usually the setup, not the animal.
By difficulty
By setup type
By group
The full dataset (51 species)
Click a column heading to sort. Every figure traces to the linked care sheet.
| Species ▲ | Group | Difficulty | Setup | Adult size | Lifespan (yrs) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Axolotl | Axolotls | Intermediate | Aquatic · cool | 9–12 in (23–30 cm) | 10–15 |
| White's Tree Frog | Tree Frogs | Beginner | Arboreal | 3–4 in (7–11 cm) | 10–20 |
| Red-Eyed Tree Frog | Tree Frogs | Advanced | Arboreal | 2–3 in (5–7.5 cm) | 5–10 |
| American Green Tree Frog | Tree Frogs | Beginner | Arboreal | 1–2 in (3.5–6 cm) | 3–7 |
| Gray Tree Frog | Tree Frogs | Beginner | Arboreal | 1–2 in (3–6 cm) | 7–15 |
| Amazon Milk Frog | Tree Frogs | Intermediate | Arboreal | 2–4 in (6–10 cm) | 5–10 |
| Waxy Monkey Tree Frog | Tree Frogs | Advanced | Arboreal | 2–3 in (5–8 cm) | 5–8 |
| Vietnamese Mossy Frog | Tree Frogs | Intermediate | Semi-aquatic · cool | 2–4 in (6–9 cm) | 5–15 |
| Tiger-Leg Monkey Frog | Tree Frogs | Advanced | Arboreal | 2–3 in (4–6.5 cm) | 5–8 |
| Clown Tree Frog | Tree Frogs | Intermediate | Arboreal | 1–2 in (3–4.5 cm) | 4–8 |
| White-Lipped Tree Frog | Tree Frogs | Intermediate | Arboreal | 4–6 in (10–14 cm) | 10–15 |
| Dyeing Poison Dart Frog | Dart Frogs | Intermediate | Terrestrial | 2–2 in (4–5 cm) | 10–15 |
| Blue Poison Dart Frog (Azureus) | Dart Frogs | Intermediate | Terrestrial | 1–2 in (3–4.5 cm) | 10–15 |
| Green-and-Black Poison Dart Frog | Dart Frogs | Intermediate | Terrestrial | 1–2 in (2.5–4 cm) | 10–20 |
| Bumblebee Poison Dart Frog | Dart Frogs | Intermediate | Terrestrial | 1–1 in (3–3.8 cm) | 10–20 |
| Golden Poison Frog | Dart Frogs | Intermediate | Terrestrial | 2–2 in (4–5.5 cm) | 10–20 |
| Mimic Poison Dart Frog | Dart Frogs | Advanced | Arboreal | 1–1 in (1.5–2.2 cm) | 8–15 |
| Strawberry Poison Dart Frog | Dart Frogs | Advanced | Terrestrial | 1–1 in (1.7–2.4 cm) | 5–10 |
| Phantasmal Poison Dart Frog | Dart Frogs | Intermediate | Terrestrial | 1–1 in (2–2.6 cm) | 10–15 |
| Golden Mantella | Dart Frogs | Intermediate | Terrestrial | 1–1 in (2–2.5 cm) | 12–18 |
| Pacman Frog | Frogs | Beginner | Terrestrial | 3–7 in (7–18 cm) | 6–12 |
| African Bullfrog | Frogs | Beginner | Terrestrial | 4–10 in (10–25 cm) | 15–25 |
| African Dwarf Frog | Frogs | Beginner | Aquatic | 1–2 in (3–4 cm) | 5–10 |
| African Clawed Frog | Frogs | Beginner | Aquatic | 4–5 in (10–13 cm) | 10–20 |
| Fire-Bellied Toad | Frogs | Beginner | Semi-aquatic | 2–2 in (4–6 cm) | 10–20 |
| Tomato Frog | Frogs | Beginner | Terrestrial | 2–4 in (6–10 cm) | 6–12 |
| Budgett's Frog | Frogs | Intermediate | Aquatic | 2–5 in (6–13 cm) | 15–20 |
| Asian Painted Frog | Frogs | Beginner | Terrestrial | 2–3 in (5.5–7.5 cm) | 8–12 |
| Surinam Toad | Frogs | Advanced | Aquatic | 4–8 in (10–20 cm) | 7–8 |
| American Toad | Toads | Beginner | Terrestrial | 2–4 in (5–9 cm) | 10–15 |
| European Common Toad | Toads | Beginner | Terrestrial · cool | 3–5 in (8–13 cm) | 10–25 |
| Cane Toad | Toads | Beginner | Terrestrial | 4–6 in (10–15 cm) | 10–15 |
| Colorado River Toad | Toads | Intermediate | Terrestrial | 4–7 in (11–19 cm) | 10–20 |
| Green Toad | Toads | Beginner | Terrestrial | 2–4 in (5–9 cm) | 8–12 |
| Tiger Salamander | Salamanders | Beginner | Terrestrial · cool | 6–12 in (15–30 cm) | 10–16 |
| Fire Salamander | Salamanders | Intermediate | Terrestrial · cool | 6–10 in (15–25 cm) | 20–30 |
| Spotted Salamander | Salamanders | Intermediate | Terrestrial · cool | 6–10 in (15–25 cm) | 18–25 |
| Marbled Salamander | Salamanders | Intermediate | Terrestrial · cool | 4–5 in (9–12 cm) | 8–12 |
| Tiger Salamander (Aquatic/Neotenic) | Salamanders | Intermediate | Aquatic · cool | 8–12 in (20–30 cm) | 10–15 |
| Mudpuppy | Salamanders | Advanced | Aquatic · cool | 8–13 in (20–33 cm) | 20–30 |
| Siren | Salamanders | Advanced | Aquatic | 12–28 in (30–70 cm) | 15–25 |
| Amphiuma | Salamanders | Expert | Aquatic · cool | 14–35 in (35–90 cm) | 15–27 |
| Chinese Fire-Bellied Newt | Newts | Beginner | Semi-aquatic · cool | 2–4 in (6–10 cm) | 10–20 |
| Spanish Ribbed Newt | Newts | Beginner | Aquatic · cool | 6–12 in (15–30 cm) | 10–20 |
| Japanese Fire-Bellied Newt | Newts | Intermediate | Semi-aquatic · cool | 3–5 in (8–13 cm) | 10–25 |
| Paddletail Newt | Newts | Intermediate | Aquatic · cool | 5–7 in (12–18 cm) | 10–20 |
| Eastern Newt | Newts | Intermediate | Semi-aquatic · cool | 3–5 in (7–12 cm) | 12–18 |
| Alpine Newt | Newts | Intermediate | Semi-aquatic · cool | 3–5 in (7–12 cm) | 10–20 |
| Emperor Newt | Newts | Intermediate | Semi-aquatic · cool | 5–8 in (12–20 cm) | 10–20 |
| Kaiser's Spotted Newt | Newts | Advanced | Semi-aquatic · cool | 4–6 in (10–14 cm) | 10–20 |
| Aquatic Caecilian | All Amphibians | Intermediate | Aquatic | 12–22 in (30–55 cm) | 5–12 |
Methodology & sources
This dataset covers the 51 amphibian species people keep that have a fact-checked care sheet on Bognook (our sourced gate) — not all ~8,700 wild amphibian species. Lifespan ranges are the typical captive figures stated in those care sheets. Adult size is typical adult total length compiled from standard natural-history references (AmphibiaWeb, Caudata Culture, Josh's Frogs) — the same authorities the care sheets draw on. Ranges describe typical adults, not extreme records (a few species, like the African bullfrog, have exceptional individuals well beyond the range shown).
Cite this study
This is original data, free to cite and share with a link back. Suggested citation:
Bognook (2026). Amphibian Keeping by the Numbers. bognook.com. Retrieved from https://bognook.com/amphibians-by-the-numbers/
⬇ Download the dataset (CSV) — 51 species, ready to chart or re-use.
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