I wonder...

[aradia]

I'm sure this has been asked countless times before, but I didn't see any posts about it!
Anyway, do you think that frogs (WTFs in particular, given that they are more... handle-able) enjoy being handled or pet? I know that I hold my WTF ... probably too often, honestly, but he seems to like it! I always make sure to rinse my hands off before handling him, of course, but it seems to me that he almost looks forward to snuggling down into my hand or against my neck, and he almost always takes a nap while he's out.

On the same note, I had a frog die last year, and I held him as he was dying, as there was really ... nothing else to do. I sang to him, and tried to comfort him as best as I could, and I've always wondered if I might have done more harm than good. Do you think it might have made a difference in his feelings as he went?
Oh gosh, I'm tearing up just thinking about it ... it's so strange how such small creatures make such huge impacts on our lives, isn't it?

[DonLisk]

They can become very accustomed to being handled and my thoughts are that if they walk into your hands and your percipient at ensuring there is no chance of chemical residue on your hands then its fine to do.

Ensuring hands are washed and rinsed so things like hand sanitizers are removed completely is a must.
Also, having to catch a frog to handle is a stressful thing for the frog, so if the frog is reluctant to be handled then it shouldn't be handled.

Although my WTFs would come right to me at feeding time, I didn't handle them except to check them out occasionally.
Just my thoughts on the subject.

[ViperJr]

I'm sure this has been asked countless times before, but I didn't see any posts about it!
Anyway, do you think that frogs (WTFs in particular, given that they are more... handle-able) enjoy being handled or pet? I know that I hold my Whites Tree Frog ... probably too often, honestly, but he seems to like it! I always make sure to rinse my hands off before handling him, of course, but it seems to me that he almost looks forward to snuggling down into my hand or against my neck, and he almost always takes a nap while he's out.

Sorry to break it to you, but no, they don't enjoy it, and they don't look forward to snuggling down into your hand. Whenever you take the frog out, you're just doing it for yourself. The frog does not benefit from it in any way, but the risk of harming him are imminent. Not only the risk of "poisoning" with the nastiness on your skin, but the stress (even if some frogs are eventually not stressed by being picked up) and the risk of physical damage( ie. jumping of your hand).

On the same note, I had a frog die last year, and I held him as he was dying, as there was really ... nothing else to do. I sang to him, and tried to comfort him as best as I could, and I've always wondered if I might have done more harm than good.
Oh gosh, I'm tearing up just thinking about it ... it's so strange how such small creatures make such huge impacts on our lives, isn't it?

I'm sorry for your loss. However, since you asked for it, you indeed did more harm than good. Now, I'm not saying that you killed him (it might have been too late for anything to actually help), but it's never going to help a sick frog by holding it.

Do you think it might have made a difference in his feelings as he went?

The only feelings it affected was your own feelings, to be honest. The frog might not have been stressed out by the holding (if he/she was very accustomed to being handled), but then again, the dying itself was probably quite stressful.

I personally feel that it's never a good reason to handle a frog (unless we're talking taking it to the vet or something like that). Best case scenario when handling them, it's doing nothing for the frog. Every other scenario, the frog gets hurt/stressed (someway or the other).

it's so strange how such small creatures make such huge impacts on our lives, isn't it?

Indeed, and that's why it's important to remember that they are what they are, frogs. They aren't a huggy, squishy friend that's loves you back like a dog would. It's "just" an amazing creature, hard-wired to eat, sleep, reproduce and survive, and not much more.

I'll just leave this here:
Anthropomorphism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[aradia]

Martin:
Wow... that's... really depressing.
About the frog dying, however, he wasn't just sick. I had taken him to a vet, soaked him in an antibiotic as was prescribed, and he was literally in the throes of death when i decided to hold him. He was nearly already gone - it took only about fifteen minutes from the time he began to die (the spasms and such, I had to fish him out of his water as he had flipped over and risked drowning, at which point I left him in his tank for a few minutes before assuming the end). I really tried everything I could possibly try for him, but to no avail ... I only took him out during that time in his last moments and to go to the vet.

I also personally feel that I'm not harming him as much as he could really harm himself - I've never noticed any signs of stress or sickness aside from when I first got him. I feel that I'm as careful as I can be; I love that frog more than I can possibly even explain, haha! He's never tried to escape my hands.
I appreciate your opinion, though!

[ViperJr]

Martin:
Wow... that's... really depressing.
About the frog dying, however, he wasn't just sick. I had taken him to a vet, soaked him in an antibiotic as was prescribed, and he was literally in the throes of death when i decided to hold him. He was nearly already gone - it took only about fifteen minutes from the time he began to die (the spasms and such, I had to fish him out of his water as he had flipped over and risked drowning, at which point I left him in his tank for a few minutes before assuming the end). I really tried everything I could possibly try for him, but to no avail ... I only took him out during that time in his last moments and to go to the vet.

I'm sure you did everything you could (and really nice to see someone taking it to a vet, feels like it's not as usual as it should be). I should have been more clear, I'm definitely not accusing you of killing your frog. I'm sorry if that's how it sounded.

I also personally feel that I'm not harming him as much as he could really harm himself - I've never noticed any signs of stress or sickness aside from when I first got him. I feel that I'm as careful as I can be; I love that frog more than I can possibly even explain, haha! He's never tried to escape my hands.
I appreciate your opinion, though!

I see your point. Just saying that no matter how careful you are, you (and the frog) still got nothing to gain and much to lose