Do frogs get lonely?

[hyla]

I have been wondering if my tree frog can be happy living alone...any evidence on whether or not frogs thrive better with a partner? I would like to aquire another one (suggestions on what other types can be housed with a female Gray tree frog helpful!) but my husband isnt on board as he does not appreciate frogs and finds them unnerving.

[Tropicok]

I don't believe frogs get lonely. They have mating urges at certain times of the year, I suppose, but this is an urge from instinct inside a reptilian brain. I just like to see things in terms of composition and three is nice to look at for humans and we hope, just maybe, there is a pair so we can have cute little froglets. One frog has all that territory where there is food and it doesn't have to share or fight with another frog.

[Kurt]

The only thing that should go with a gray treefrog is another gray trrefrog. Also frogs don't get lonely.

[John]

inside a reptilian brain

Ouch, don't tell my frogs you think they're reptiles...

To answer the original poster, frogs aren't social animals, except under very specific conditions (breeding for example). So no, they don't get lonely.

[hyla]

Couldnt anyone have said they actually do prefer having a friend? Haha...Oh well, I guess hubby will be pleased to hear they arent social creatures. I guess I will just have one frog to love now that I know she can be happy by herself!

[SludgeMunkey]

Without anthropomorphizing them, Gray Tree Frogs are happiest when they have lots of places to hide, wiggly, crunchy things to eat, and the right amount of water available. I get the distinct impression they could care less if they have roommates.

[Kurt]

You don't have to tell him the truth, you can say that you think he nneds a friend.

[hyla]

Its too bad not everyone can see past dogs as pets...lol!

[Crystal6]

Ouch, don't tell my frogs you think they're reptiles...

To answer the original poster, frogs aren't social animals, except under very specific conditions (breeding for example). So no, they don't get lonely.

Wasn't there this one user who said their frog really liked to cling to their hand and that it would croak with joy every time they picked it up?

I thought there was... I doubt frogs long for companions of the same species however because they like to eat each other. If you were alone in a room with one other person and you were lonely you would certainly not eat him/her.

[John]

Wasn't there this one user who said their frog really liked to cling to their hand and that it would croak with joy every time they picked it up?

Frogs aren't capable of "joy" - they're frogs...

[1beataway]

I had always been told that most frogs were very social and love to play, especially when it comes to fire-belly toads. How interesting. (You do have to admit though that it's pretty fun having several fire-belly toads in a tank. )

[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.

[Kurt]

Frogs have emotions, but not in the way humans interpret them. I feel there emotions serve to keep the alive and not to bond to others. The only long for food, safety, and every so often a mate, some long for territory, but that's it.