Frog/Toad Intelligence - what do you think?

[findiviglio]

Thanks, Patsy..I've not had a chance to observe any size-related incidents; it would be interesting to see if the frog continues to reject worms over time, please let me know if you have a chance, Best, Frank

[Sasha]

Frank, I have an update. My frog that rejected the worms at first now ate half a worm from the tongs. She acted like a child that was just tricked in to eating brussell sprouts and jumped around the tank with her mouth wide open! She did however manage to swallow the worm and keep it down. So there goes my whole theory, LOL!

[findiviglio]

Frank, I have an update. My frog that rejected the worms at first now ate half a worm from the tongs. She acted like a child that was just tricked in to eating brussell sprouts and jumped around the tank with her mouth wide open! She did however manage to swallow the worm and keep it down. So there goes my whole theory, LOL!

Ha! very good, thanks. Thinking back, I've that most treefrogs (and arboreal lizards) reject earthworms; perhaps just too far away from what typical prey looks like; White's are very adaptable, however, and eworms are a good food item. Easy to gut load, and usually have a decent CA" phosphorus ratio, altho this varies with diet. Let me know if you need info on breeding or anything, Enjoy, Pl keep me posted, Frank

[deranged chipmunk]

i always felt that intelligence was a rather abstract concept. at least, in the way that we, as humans, evaluate it. i think Fin said something very poignant here "White's are very adaptable". so are we mistaking adaptation to one's environment as intelligence? look at it this way, a person loses their home and adapts to living on the streets. does that make them any more or less intelligent? i wouldn't think so. (i know, extreme exaggeration...LOL) i like to think that all living things, whether they have a developed brain or not, are intelligent in one way or another. we also like to use the term intelligent incorrectly sometimes. ever hear someone talk about a K-9 officer and say that that dog is so smart, he can find drugs/bombs/people, but in actuality, it is what the dog was trained to do, he didn't figure it out on his own (which would kind of be what we would call intelligence). sorry, got a little long winded there, a behavior my wife has been trying to reverse for a LONG time....LOL

[mpmistr]

The African Bullfrog - YouTube

Perhaps not a sign of intelligence but WOW who would of thought a frog would show maternal instincts like that? That's just amazing.

[Sunshine]

Wow! That is amazing!!! That video made me smile

[tgampper]

Thanks, Frank. I always enjoy your posts. I was an amphibian keeper at the Henry Doorly Zoo and saw many unusual amphibian behaviors. Speaking of frog's basking, I am reminded of the southern foam nest frog (Africa), Chiromantis xerampelina, who is able to bask in direct sunlight with ambient temperatures exceeding 105 degrees (F). It has a remarkable ability to adjust its internal body fluids to withstand the high heat.

[findiviglio]

Thanks, Frank. I always enjoy your posts. I was an amphibian keeper at the Henry Doorly Zoo and saw many unusual amphibian behaviors. Speaking of frog's basking, I am reminded of the southern foam nest frog (Africa), Chiromantis xerampelina, who is able to bask in direct sunlight with ambient temperatures exceeding 105 degrees (F). It has a remarkable ability to adjust its internal body fluids to withstand the high heat.

Nice to hear from you, Terry, and thanks for the kind words. Chiromantis are amazing indeed, thanks for bringing them up. I recall some people from your zoo visiting the BX Zoo in the mid-80's, checking JungleWorld in prep for a similar building. I seem to remember hearing that koi and other creatures in an outdoor lake at H Doorley were used to prepare skeletons for museums, etc...always stuck in my mind...am I imagining that? Best, Frank