Dehydrated Frogs: Causes, Effects And Recovery

Dehydrated frogs are a common sight during hot, dry weather. If you’ve come across a shriveled, dry frog and want to know if it can bounce back, you’ve come to the right place.

If you’re short on time, here’s a quick answer: With proper care and rehydration, mildly to moderately dehydrated frogs can fully recover. Severely dehydrated frogs often die.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll cover the causes, visible effects, and steps you need to take to rehydrate a dehydrated frog and nurse it back to health.

What Causes Frogs to Become Dehydrated?

Hot, Dry Weather

Extended periods of hot and dry weather can lead to dehydration in frogs. As ectotherms, frogs are unable to internally regulate their body temperature and rely on external water sources to maintain hydration.

When ponds, puddles and other small bodies of water evaporate in drought conditions, frogs can quickly become dehydrated without access to moisture.

According to a 2021 study, over half of frog species are facing extinction risks from rising temperatures and drought linked to climate change (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-04554-z). Even a few days of temperatures over 86°F can be deadly if frogs have no access to water.

Their permeable skin causes them to lose moisture rapidly under heat stress.

Habitat Destruction

Wetland habitats are crucial for frogs, but development, agriculture practices, water diversion projects and other human activities have led to extensive destruction and degradation of these sensitive ecosystems.

When frogs’ native environments are altered or destroyed, it removes vital food and water resources they rely on.

Studies estimate 30-50% of the world’s wetlands have been lost since 1900 (https://www.worldwildlife.org/pages/why-wetlands-matter). Without healthy wetland habitats providing refuge from the elements, frogs become vulnerable to the effects of exposure and dehydration.

Skin Permeability

A frog’s moist skin plays a crucial role in respiration, hydration and other body functions. Oxygen, fluids and electrolytes are exchanged across their permeable skin membranes. While their semipermeable skin gives frogs great adaptability to aquatic environments, it also makes them prone to increased fluid loss when exposed to dry conditions.

According to University of Ohio’s biology department (https://bio.osu.edu/), a frog’s skin is 10-20 times more permeable to water than human skin. Without access to water to rehydrate and moisten their sensitive skin, frogs can quickly succumb to the effects of dehydration even more rapidly than many other species.

Signs and Stages of Dehydration in Frogs

Mild Dehydration

In the initial stage of mild dehydration, frogs may show some subtle signs that they are losing more fluids than they are taking in. These can include:

Slightly sunken eyes
Skin that is less elastic when pinched
Decreased activity levels
Loss of appetite

At this stage, the effects are usually reversible if the frog can access water within a day or two to rehydrate itself. Mild dehydration begins when a frog has lost around 5-8% of its total body fluids.

Moderate Dehydration

As dehydration progresses to the moderate stage, the effects on a frog become more pronounced:

Noticeably sunken eyes and skin
Lethargy, lack of responsiveness
Difficulty shedding skin
Rapid heartbeat
Constipation

Moderate dehydration typically begins when around 10% of a frog’s bodily fluids have been lost. At this point, rehydration becomes urgent – if a frog cannot access water over the next 12-24 hours, death becomes likely.

Severe Dehydration

In the advanced or severe stage of dehydration, a frog’s health is in critical danger. Effects seen in this stage include:

Very sunken, wrinkled skin
Inability to move around
Weak reflexes
Irregular or feeble pulse
Lack of shed skin removal
Stiff limbs and joints

Once 15-20% of its fluids have been lost, a frog is severely compromised. Without veterinary intervention to provide fluids, electrolytes, and other supportive care, death usually follows within 48 hours or less.

According to the Frog Care Guide, severely dehydrated frogs have only a 30% chance of recovery, even with appropriate treatment. Prevention of dehydration through habitat management and watchful monitoring of frogs is key.

How to Rehydrate and Save a Dehydrated Frog

Create a Moist Environment

The first step in rehydrating a dehydrated frog is to create a moist environment. Take a small plastic container and line the bottom with damp paper towels or sphagnum moss. The substrate should be kept moist but not soaking wet.

Mist the sides of the container frequently with dechlorinated water to maintain high humidity. Adding live plants like pothos or philodendron can also increase humidity levels. The frog should be placed in the container without water dishes initially to prevent drowning.

Provide Fresh Water

Once the frog is recovered enough to move about on its own, provide a shallow water dish in its enclosure. Use dechlorinated, bottled or filtered water only. Change the water daily to prevent bacterial growth.

The water level should be low enough so the frog can sit partially submerged but not deep enough to swim. This allows the frog to absorb water directly through its skin. Fluids and electrolytes can also be replenished by dripping small amounts of rehydration solution on the frog’s nose with an eyedropper or syringe.

Monitor Progress

Check on the frog’s progress several times a day once treatment is underway. Look for signs of improvement like more normal posture, increased activity levels, plumper body shape, and closure of sunken eyes.

Weighing the frog daily with a kitchen or small jewelry scale can help monitor hydration status. Generally, most frogs will show significant improvement within 12-24 hours if rehydration is started early enough. A frog that is too far gone may unfortunately not recover despite your best efforts.

Call a reptile vet if you have concerns about the frog’s condition not improving or getting worse during treatment.

With prompt action, the right environment and patience, many dehydrated frogs can make a full recovery. Creating a humid habitat, providing clean water and monitoring their progress are the keys to successfully rehydrating and saving these delicate amphibians.

Here are some helpful websites with more tips on dealing with dehydrated frogs:

Preventing Dehydration in Pet Frogs

Proper Enclosure

An appropriate enclosure is crucial to maintaining hydration and health in pet frogs. The enclosure should be escape-proof with a secured top or lid to prevent the frog from getting out and becoming dehydrated.

The size recommendations vary by species, but generally 10-20 gallons per frog is adequate (source). Proper ventilation is also important – screen tops allow airflow while retaining humidity. Finally, various hides, plants, rocks, branches, and other décor elements help the frogs feel secure while providing climbing surfaces and water sources.

Adequate Water

Clean, dechlorinated water should always be available in a shallow water dish. Most species will also soak themselves regularly when given the opportunity. The water should be changed daily to prevent bacterial or fungal growth.

For semi-aquatic species like African Dwarf Frogs, at least 3-4 inches of water is necessary so they can fully submerge. Mist the tank at least once daily to maintain humidity, provide drinking opportunities, and simulate natural rain cycles.

Signs of dehydration in frogs include sunken eyes, wrinkled skin, lethargy, and shedding difficulties during molting. Dehydration can quickly become life-threatening, so addressing water, humidity, and other husbandry issues is crucial when these symptoms are noticed.

Humidity and Misting

Low humidity is incredibly dangerous for amphibians. Their permeable skin easily loses moisture to drier air, resulting in dehydration, respiratory distress, and secondary health issues. Each species has an optimal humidity range that should be maintained (source):

Tree frogs: 60-80%
Pacman frogs: 80-90%
Tomato frogs: 70-90%
White’s tree frogs: 60-80%
Budgett’s frogs: 50-70%

A hygrometer helps monitor the humidity inside your vivarium. Hand misting, foggers, and moist substrates are important for hitting the target humidity range for your frogs. Generally mist once or twice daily, avoiding the heat lamp area so temperatures do not drop drastically.

Proper humidity prevents dangerous water loss and keeps your frogs hydrated and healthy long-term.

Conclusion

With their permeable skin, frogs are prone to dehydration, especially in hot, dry conditions. By recognizing the signs of dehydration early and taking quick action to rehydrate your frog, you can help it bounce back to full health.

With proper habitat conditions and care, dehydration can also be prevented in pet frogs.

We hope this guide gave you a good understanding of dehydrated frogs – their causes, visible effects, and how to rehydrate and nurse them back to health. Always monitor dehydrated frogs closely and provide veterinary care if their condition doesn’t improve.