If you’ve found a frog that has made its way into your home, you may be wondering just how long the uninvited guest can survive in this foreign environment. The answer depends on a few key factors that impact a frog’s ability to find food, water, and proper temperatures inside a human dwelling.
If you’re short on time, here’s a quick answer to your question: A healthy frog may be able to live for a few weeks inside a house if it has access to water and insects to eat. But long-term survival indoors is very unlikely for a wild frog.
A Frog’s Basic Needs
Food
Frogs are carnivores, meaning they eat other animals. In the wild, frogs will eat insects like flies, mosquitoes, moths, and worms. They will also eat snails, spiders, smaller frogs and fish. To capture food, frogs use their long, sticky tongues to quickly snap up prey.
A frog kept as a pet will need a diet of crickets, mealworms, or small fish. Without proper nutrition, a pet frog will become malnourished and can develop health issues like metabolic bone disease.
Water
Water is absolutely essential for a frog’s survival. Frogs have permeable skin that easily absorbs water. They need access to fresh, clean water at all times to keep their skin moist and prevent dehydration. In the wild, frogs live near ponds, lakes, marshes or streams.
As pets, frogs should have a large, shallow water dish that is cleaned and refilled with dechlorinated water daily. Misting the tank helps increase humidity. If a frog’s skin dries out, it can lead to serious medical conditions.
Proper Temperature
Frogs are cold-blooded animals, meaning they rely on external temperatures to regulate their body heat. Each species of frog has an optimal temperature range for survival. For most pet frogs, like tree frogs and pacman frogs, the ideal habitat temperature is between 70-80°F.
Temperatures that are too hot or too cold can lead to stress, appetite loss, and illness. Providing the proper heat sources like under tank heaters and full spectrum lighting is crucial. The tank should also have a cool side for the frog to thermoregulate its body temperature.
Ability to Find Sustenance Indoors
Insects and Other Prey
Frogs that find their way into homes may be able to sustain themselves for a period by catching insects and other small prey. Common household pests like flies, spiders, cockroaches, and silverfish could all make for tempting frog food (😋).
However, most homes do not contain enough of these creatures to sustain a frog for more than a few days or weeks.
Crickets and other insects that are unintentionally carried inside could supplement a frog’s diet. But without a steady supply, the frog would eventually exhaust this food source. One analysis found the daily food intake for an adult frog is around 10% of its body weight (1).
Even large insects are small meals and would not provide adequate long-term nutrition on their own.
Puddles and Sources of Water
Access to water is even more critical than food for a frog’s survival. Just like in their natural habitat outdoors, frogs can soak themselves in puddles, droplets of leaked water, or even pools collected in shower stalls.
However, most modern, climate-controlled homes do not contain permanent sources of fresh water. At best, a frog might discover occasional puddles from leaks, overflowing sinks or tubs, or water spilled while cleaning. Without a renewing supply, these water sources would quickly dry up (☹️).
Frogs can actually absorb water through their skin along with some essential nutrients from any pools they soak in (2). But this would likely not be enough hydration to sustain them more than a few days confined in a dry indoor environment.
The Outlook for Indoor Frogs
While a hungry frog might snack on a few household pests, without adequate water and a continual food supply, homes do not offer suitable habitat for these amphibious creatures. At best, a lost frog might survive inside for a week or two before perishing from lack of sustenance.
The next time you find an uninvited frog visitor, do it a favor and carefully relocate it back into the backyard. A much better outcome for both parties! (👍)
Sustenance Type | Availability Indoors | Ability to Sustain Frog |
Insects and Prey | Limited and temporary | A few days to weeks |
Standing Water | Extremely limited | A few days max |
(1) Estimating Food Consumption of Frogs
(2) Frog Water Balance and Skin Functions
Threats to a Frog’s Health Indoors
Dry Air
Frogs have moist, permeable skin that easily absorbs oxygen and releases carbon dioxide. However, dry indoor air can quickly lead to severe dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. Within a few days, the lack of humidity causes a frog’s skin to become dry and hardened, inhibiting their ability to breathe and function properly.
Provide ample hydration by misting the frog’s environment frequently with dechlorinated water and ensuring a large water source is always available.
Extreme Temperatures
As ectotherms, frogs rely on external temperatures to regulate their internal body temperature. However, most homes have temperatures unsuitable for a frog’s health. Hot environments above 85°F can overheat a frog’s body, leading to heat exhaustion, seizures, or death.
On the flip side, cool homes below 65°F slow down a frog’s metabolism to dangerously low levels. Monitor indoor thermometers vigilantly and use supplemental heating or cooling to maintain temperatures between 70-80°F.
Pesticides and Chemicals
Many common household cleaners and pesticides are highly toxic to frogs. Substances like bleach, ammonia, and rodenticides can easily permeate a frog’s moist skin and poison their internal organs. Heavy exposure over several hours leads to neurological damage, convulsions, and death.
Prevent chemical contamination by thoroughly cleaning the frog’s enclosure with plain water only. Also, keep all harsh chemicals stored securely away from the frog’s housing.
Safe Products | Harmful Products |
Dechlorinated water, new sponges | Bleach, glass cleaner with ammonia |
Natural cleaning vinegar, baking soda | Oven cleaner, toilet bowl cleaner |
By understanding these common health threats, frog owners can take the proper precautions to maintain a safe, healthy habitat indoors. Monitor humidity levels, control home temperatures, and prevent exposure to harsh chemicals.
With attentive care and regular misting, frogs can thrive for years inside your home.
Lifespan Differences Between Wild and Captive Frogs
Frogs that live in captivity as pets generally have a longer lifespan compared to frogs living in the wild. Captive frogs benefit from a controlled environment, a steady supply of food, protection from predators, and veterinary care when needed.
However, there are some important factors to consider when it comes to the survivability of pet frogs.
Average Lifespan
In their natural habitats, most frogs live for 2 to 4 years on average. However, captive frogs have been known to live between 5 to 15 years depending on the species. For example, the average lifespan of a wild American bullfrog is 7 years. But bullfrogs raised in captivity often exceed 15 years.
Other pet frog species like the popular African dwarf frog can live up to 5 years in a tank environment.
Causes of Early Death in the Wild
Frogs face many threats in the wild that reduce their chances of survival. Common causes of mortality for wild frogs include:
- Predation – Frogs are preyed upon by snakes, birds, fish, rats, and other animals. Up to 80% of tadpoles may get eaten before reaching adulthood.
- Habitat loss and degradation
- Pollution and pesticides
- Disease and parasites
- Extreme weather events like droughts or cold snaps
- Being hit by vehicles while migrating
As a result, mortality rates are extremely high for newly metamorphosed frogs. Less than 0.5% of frogs survive to adulthood in some wild populations. Captive frogs are shielded from these threats in an enclosed tank habitat.
Improved Care for Pet Frogs
Thanks to better husbandry practices and veterinary medicine, the average lifespan of pet frogs has increased substantially over the past decades. Keepers can now draw upon considerable experience and products tailored to maintaining frogs in captivity such as:
- Specialized diets and supplements
- Advances in aquarium water filtration
- New medications and antibiotics
- Innovations in tank lighting and heating
- Better handling techniques to reduce stress
With good frog care based on research and expert consultation, frogs can thrive and reach old age in a clean, safe enclosed habitat.
Oldest Known Captive Frogs
According to longevity records, the oldest known captive frogs include:
Species | Age |
Goliath frog | 21 years |
Tomato frog | Over 16 years |
White’s tree frog | 16 years |
Argentine horned frog | 15 years |
These exceptional ages show that certain pet frog species can live a decade or more beyond their average wild lifespan when cared for properly in captivity.
When to Safely Remove or Call Wildlife Control
Finding a frog that has wandered into your home can be startling, but these amphibians are generally harmless. In most cases, the best course of action is to safely capture the frog and release it outside. However, there are some important factors to consider before trying to remove a frog yourself.
Assess the Situation
First, try to determine how the frog got inside and where it is located. Look for open doors or windows and identify potential entry points. Locate the frog and see if it seems capable of hopping around freely or if its movements are restricted.
A frog that appears sluggish, injured, or trapped may require special handling.
Avoid Direct Contact
It’s best not to touch frogs with your bare hands as their skin contains oils and toxins that can irritate human skin. Their skin is also very sensitive. Wear gloves or use a towel when handling frogs. Avoid excessively loud noises or sudden movements that could stress the frog.
Contain and Transport
Gently coax or guide the frog into a plastic container or bucket. Avoid containers that are too large, as it will be harder to get the frog out. Place a damp towel on the bottom for comfort. Secure the lid and punch small air holes if needed.
Quickly transport the container outside to a safe release spot.
Choose a Suitable Release Location
Look for a peaceful, shady area away from roads, pools, or foot traffic where the frog can safely return to nature. Areas with water features, trees, plants, and cool damp places provide good frog habitat. Gently tip the container on its side and allow the frog to hop out.
Thoroughly clean the container after to prevent spreading diseases between frogs.
Call for Help if Needed
In some situations, it’s best to call a professional wildlife removal service for assistance. This includes if the frog appears sick or injured, if there are numerous frogs invading the home, if the frog seems aggressively defensive, or if you are uncomfortable handling the animal.
Professionals have the right tools and knowledge to safely capture and relocate wildlife.
With some care and common sense, a lost frog can usually be removed from a home without harm. But call on the experts when needed to ensure the safety of both people and animals.
Conclusion
While a frog may survive for a limited time inside your home if conditions are just right, a house is not a viable long-term environment for these amphibians. If you discover a frog has found its way indoors, it’s best to safely capture and release it back into its natural habitat where it can find the food, water, shelter, and climate it needs to thrive.