Frogs make great pets, especially if you are a newbie and getting your first pet. They are very low maintenance and inexpensive compared to other similar pets available in the market.
But do frogs like to be pet? In short, no, they do not appreciate being petted. Nevertheless, the frogs might rarely let you pet them, but only for a brief time.
However, there are ways to make your frog more friendly and much more lenient towards petting. All of these will be discussed in the article below. So let’s get started.
Do Frogs Like To Be Pet?
No, they do not like to be petted. So, before getting in-depth on how to make your pet frog more forbearing towards petting, we must first learn why they dislike being petted.
1. Frogs’ Special Skin
Frogs have semi-permeable skins, which helps greatly when they try to breathe underwater. The semi-permeable skin helps absorb oxygen from the water molecules and helps the frog stay underwater for extended periods.
That is the main reason why frogs get irritated when being petted on their skin. The semi-permeable skin does not only absorb oxygen from the water molecules. Rather, it can absorb everything. This includes the sweat and body oil in our hands when we touch them.
2. Frogs’ Non-Existent Neck
Unlike other regular pets seen in common households, frogs do not have the skeletal structure that offers them the luxury of looking behind their back. They have blindsight at their back.
However, frogs’ eyes are adapted to the fact that they have non-existent neck joints. Hence, their eyes can see behind their back. This is another reason petting on their back irritates them since they do not have clear vision.
How To Make Your Frogs More Lenient Towards Petting?
We have discussed two reasons frogs do not like to be petted. In this section, we will discuss the solutions to those problems.
1. Gaining Your Pet’s Trust
As we have already discussed, due to having slight blindsight at the back, frogs get scared when petted. That is the more dominant issue of the two problems discussed above. And this can be counteracted by gaining your pet’s trust. Follow the steps below to do that.
- Step 1: Give Them The Perfect Enclosure
We should be aiming to give our pet frog the perfect enclosure that properly mimics its natural habitat. This makes gaining their trust exponentially easier.
Normally, 3 types of enclosures are recommended for any pet frogs tamed in a household. Namely, arboreal, terrestrial, and aquatic. However, which enclosure suits your frog the best will depend on the type of frog you have. Have a look at the table below.
| Enclosure | Frog Species |
|---|---|
| Arboreal | Centrolenidae, Hylidae, Hyperoliidae, Microhylidae, and Rhacophoridae |
| Terrestrial | Southern Toad, Southern Chorus frog, and Grass Frog |
| Aquatic | Western Clawed Frog, Western Dwarf Clawed Frog, and African Clawed Frog |
- Step 2: Make Sure They See You When You Provide Them Food
This is by no means a new trick. Sharing one’s meal with another seems to be a deed of great trust and virtue in the animal kingdom. So, make sure your pet frog sees you providing him with his meal. Over time, this will create great trust and bonding between the two of you.
- Step3: Do Not Make Too Much Eye Contact When Sitting Beside Them
This is not a necessity but rather a quick trick to help them trust you rather quickly. When casually sitting beside their aquarium or terrarium, try to avoid much eye contact.
In the animal kingdom, animals only avert their eyes from one another if they feel safe around them. Hence, if you are sitting beside them and avoid eye contact, it ensures that you trust them and encourage them to do the same.
2. Taking Correct Measures When Touching Them
Frogs have very sensitive and semi-permeable skins, which irritate when you touch them. Here are some steps to touch them without making them uncomfortable.
- Step 1: Wash Your Hands Properly Or Use Smooth Gloves Before Touching Them
After gaining their trust, it is important to maintain it! If you were to pet your frog, make sure to either wash your hands properly with soap. Alternatively, you can also use smooth vinyl gloves to eliminate any chances that your pet frog absorbs any sweat or dirt off your hand.
- Step 2: Notice if They Are Getting Irritated
Frogs, unlike other animals, do not have the same level of bonding with humans. Even in the wilderness, they prefer to live isolated and do not socialize much.
Hence, no matter how comfortable they get around you, they would not tolerate being petted for extended periods. Therefore, it is recommended to always stay vigilant whether they are getting uncomfortable.
Where Exactly Should I Touch And Pet My Frog?
There are three common ways of handling and petting your frog. That includes,
1. Rubbing Their Back
This is the most common method of petting your frog, especially right after gaining its trust. Depending on the size of your frog, place either your index finger or both your index and your thumb on its back. Stroke it back and forth gently.
Make sure not to put too much force stroking its back, nor too much pressure when placing your fingers on its back.
2. Petting Their Sides
The abdomen might as well be one of the most important areas of an animal’s body. However, more often than not, it is also the most unprotected area for most animals.
Hence, most animals would not expose their abdomen or let you touch them anywhere near it unless they trust you. Therefore, it is recommended to not try to speed up the process and touch them straight at their sides the first time around.
So, start by petting their back, let them get comfortable, and only when they let you pet them without any issues, try massaging their sides.
3. Picking Them Up
If your pet frog is completely comfortable with you rubbing its back and lets you pet him on the sides, you may now move on to the next stage.
Just relax and continue petting it for a few more days straight before picking it up. This will make sure that you do not spook it by suddenly picking it up. The technique of picking up frogs is subtle but requires perfection. Hence, we are including a YouTube video to help you out in this regard.
FAQs
Down below, we are answering the most frequently asked questions about this topic.
It is recommended not to, as most frog species have mild toxins and poisons on their backs to protect themselves from predators. Such toxins can rarely ever penetrate human skin and cause trouble.
However, when the toxins come in contact with your mouth, they can reach dangerous places like your intestine and cause serious trouble.
If you pick them up too quickly before they even get to know you well, it can cause mental stress. This leads to loss of appetite and ultimate sickness. Additionally, if you use too much force when picking them up, you can hurt their internal organs as well as their exterior sensitive skin.
More often than not, it would not, given you are washing your hands properly after coming in contact with your pet. However, even after taking all the necessary procedures, your skin may still irritate. Thus, using a vinyl glove when touching or handling your pet is better.
Conclusion
We have extensively discussed the topic of whether frogs like to be pet. In short, they don’t like it. However, building good chemistry between you and your frog may let you pet them for a while.
On the other hand, it may let you pet them for an extended period of time only if you keep on building a good relationship and do not rush the process. Nevertheless, along with patience, you would also need a heartful of love towards your pet to make your efforts count, so do note that as well.
Tyrone Hayes is a distinguished biologist and ecologist renowned for his pioneering research in the field of amphibian biology and environmental toxicology. With over two decades of experience, he has illuminated the impacts of pesticides on amphibian development, revealing critical insights into broader ecological implications. Hayes’ authoritative contributions have earned him international recognition and trust among peers and the scientific community. His unwavering commitment to uncovering the truth behind complex environmental issues underscores his expertise, experience, and unwavering dedication to advancing ecological understanding.