Do bullfrogs bite? The African bullfrog known as “Pyxicephalus Adspersus” can bite you if you’re not careful. This type of frog actually has tooth-like jaw spikes that could injure you if you don’t handle the frog with care.
There have been some cases where younger bullfrogs bite and draw blood when feeding them by hand and this is because the frog’s teeth which are like tiny spikes are very sharp.
Although the bite itself may not hurt, it can give you a slight scare if you have never experienced this before. Most bullfrog owners that handle them on a daily basis or any other frogs for the matter have experienced this at some point.
Now, this is not to say if a bullfrog bites when feeding them your “lose a finger” not at all, there’s just that chance they could draw blood almost like a papercut.
Why do Bullfrogs Bite?
Most bullfrogs do not attack their owners with harmful intent, instead, they will jump away or go and hide somewhere they feel most safe. Typically if a bullfrog bites you it’s usually because of two main reasons.
The first reason is the frog may feel intimidated? and as a result, the frog will naturally bite as a defense reaction.
The second reason would be if you are attempting to feed the bullfrog from your hand, and the frog has bitten your finger and this is because the frog has accidentally mistaken your finger as food.
To avoid getting bitten by the bullfrog you should use things like chopsticks or a similar object this way you won’t have to worry about them nipping your fingers when feeding your frog.
What to do when a Bullfrogs Bite?
A couple of points are crucial to guarantee the safety and security of you as well as your frog. One of the most crucial points you need to keep in mind is that you need to remain really tranquil.
If your hand is trembling for example then, then this could send signals to the frog that something is about to happen, and as mentioned this could make the bullfrog feel intimidated.
So being calm when you feed your frog is absolutely crucial if you don’t want to be bitten.
If your frog does bite you should stop feeding them by hand and leave the food behind so the frog can help themselves. You should also rinse your hand under the tap just to clean the area where you were bitten.
If the bullfrog continues to bite you every time you feed them it a good idea to wear gloves if you insist to feed them by hand. But as before you can use chopsticks to avoid getting bitten.
Is A BullFrogs Bite Poisonous?
A bullfrogs bite is not considered poisonous, however, in places like South Korea where the bullfrog is a delicacy it can be poisonous and in some cases cause death due to the large amounts of Deadly Bufotenin if digested.
Small amounts of the deadly bufotenin in bullfrogs can cause psychedelic effects which have been the result of the bizarre practices of licking the frog to get high in Far East nations.
There are many varieties of other frogs that are known to be poisonous one of which is the Poison Dart frogs.
Poisonous Substance Dart Frogs are understood to be so toxic that one can deliver enough poisonous substances to counteract several grown adults.
The poison is that strong even indigenous tribes use these frogs to make things like poison darts getting the name (Poison Dart frogs)
Bullfrogs Defense Mechanism
When bullfrogs feel intimidated they can attack to protect themselves, however, this rarely happens with humans in captivity and more with predators in the wild.
Bullfrogs are in no way exempt from the dangers of predation, birds, like the egrets or blue herons go after bullfrogs. However, this is only the case if there’s no fish in the area.
African bullfrog (Pyxicephalus adspersus) for example, they can get extremely defensive about territory and breeding, some with even get into deadly fights with one other.
Bullfrogs Defense Mechanism
- Biting
- kicking Or Smacking
- Puffing Their Bodies
- Defensive Vocalization
With that said, there are a minority of other frogs that do bite, one of which is the Pacman frogs, that have little as well as sharp teeth that can injure you, and if it bites hard enough can also draw a little blood.
Other Frogs That Bite
Pacman Frogs
Pacman frogs can end up biting you for same reasons that African Bullfrogs would bite and again this is mainly due in mistaking your hand for food or when they really feel intimidated.
Currently, the Pacman frog might look charming and also innocent to you, yet this does not imply that his bite will not injure you. They do have a nasty bite that could draw blood if you’re not careful.
When a Pacman frog bites the pressure can be anything up to thirty newtons which is about three kilos or 6.6 extra pounds.
Budgett’s Frogs
Now the Budgett’s frog has an interesting defense reaction when feeling threatened, when the frog feels intimidated it will raise it’s legs to make it look bigger that will become intimidating to other predators.
Like the bullfrogs, the budgetts frog will bite if you attempt to hand feed them, however, if this worries you there is a way to avoid this by Feeding your frog with tongs, this way the frog won’t come into contact with your hands.
The Budgett’s frog is not one of one of the most typical family pet frogs, however, the ones that do maintain them appear to be extremely happy with them and have has no issues with them.
Conclusion
No matter what type of frog you have they make great pets and although there is that chance they can bite you just know it not intentionally. If it’s your first time owning a frog the best thing to do is just be calm when handling them.
As you get more experienced handling your frog you know what to expect or know when your frog is about to bite and be ready for it.
As mentioned at the start of this article even the most experienced handlers have been bitten at some point, however, if your really worried about this you can wear padded gloves to avoid being bitten.
The bottom line is a frogs bite is not all that serious and if the frog does bite you for whatever reason it’s better just to leave it be.
