Do frogs get lonely?

[Julia]

... it would croak with joy every time they picked it up?

Sounds like he/she was squeezing too hard every time they picked it up! Poor frog...

[Crystal6]

Sounds like he/she was squeezing too hard every time they picked it up! Poor frog...

Actually a release call is a pretty distinct sound (once I had to quickly pick up my frog and he made that sound though I did not squeeze him) so I believe the person when they say it didn't sound like a release call.

But anyways, how can you tell if an animal feels emotions?

[1beataway]

I thought I had read somewhere that snakes do not have the part of the cerebal cortex associated with emotions. I could be wrong. But if this was true, I would think it would be likewise with other reptiles and with amphibians. But again, I could be wrong.

[Malduroque]

"But anyways, how can you tell if an animal feels emotions?...."

Possibly, at least regarding herps, there is no evidence, behavioral or neurological, to suggest that they do.

I think the bigger question is why do some herpers so badly want it to be so? I cringe every time I see "he looks so happy" or "she loves that" to cite but two of the maudlin and inaccurate comments that appear.

Accept our wonderful, fascinating little creatures on their own terms for what they are. Don't insist on trying to make them something they are not.

[Crystal6]

"But anyways, how can you tell if an animal feels emotions?...."

Possibly, at least regarding herps, there is no evidence, behavioral or neurological, to suggest that they do.

I think the bigger question is why do some herpers so badly want it to be so? I cringe every time I see "he looks so happy" or "she loves that" to cite but two of the maudlin and inaccurate comments that appear.

Accept our wonderful, fascinating little creatures on their own terms for what they are. Don't insist on trying to make them something they are not.

When he's ramming his head into the top of the cage over and over I can theorize that he is discontent with his cage. When I let him out and he stops, sits on the top, and just chills out can I not theorize he is, on some level, satisfied?

If he isn't and you can prove he lacks the neurological parts in his brain to feel pleasure or sorrow I can accept that, but I like to learn. I would love to go to a class and hear all about how his brain works and what each area does. But I can't do that unless someone here has a book on frog neurology. I only ask for that reason. If he doesn't feel emotions I won't like him any less then I already do thinking he does. (Though even if he could feel emotions his ways to communicate it are less then if he were a cat.)

[1beataway]

I believe they don't feel emotion. I think your frog just may never realize that you're its caregiver and that it should cuddle up to you.

But, I think the frogs feel some things. Obviously, they feel pain. Someone I know has a White's tree frog that got out and got one of its toes cut off, and now it stays a "purplish" color. She describes it as mad, because of that color. Luigi likes to move back and forth across the front of the tank, until I open the door and let it jump out a few times. Then I can put him back and he's fine.My frogs are a lot more active in a bigger tank than they were in the smaller one. Frogs can feel threatened and be defensive.

But I think these are different from emotions. This hurts. This is better than that. He can eat me, better do this. Seems like basic stuff any animal would know.

I'm very tired today (two hours sleep last night) and am having trouble saying exactly what I mean, but there it is. lol

[JeffX]

I don't think they have emotions, but more like natural instincts that we all do. We are more aware of ours and others since we can clearly communicate with one another. Not saying that amphibians don't as they do, but not on our level. I frog is going to of course "act happy" when you feed it worms, or anything else. That is more of their feeding instinct kicking in.

[Crystal6]

I believe they don't feel emotion. I think your frog just may never realize that you're its caregiver and that it should cuddle up to you.

But, I think the frogs feel some things. Obviously, they feel pain. Someone I know has a White's tree frog that got out and got one of its toes cut off, and now it stays a "purplish" color. She describes it as mad, because of that color. Luigi likes to move back and forth across the front of the tank, until I open the door and let it jump out a few times. Then I can put him back and he's fine.My frogs are a lot more active in a bigger tank than they were in the smaller one. Frogs can feel threatened and be defensive.

But I think these are different from emotions. This hurts. This is better than that. He can eat me, better do this. Seems like basic stuff any animal would know.

I'm very tired today (two hours sleep last night) and am having trouble saying exactly what I mean, but there it is. lol

I know it will never cuddle with my hand or anything and I don't mean to imply that it will. But, when I first got it it was terrified of me and now it is very comfortable with my hand picking it up. (Granted he hates it when I wake him up.) If he had no concept of such things he would remain terrified of me for as long as I had him as he was the first few days.