Amphibians and reptiles have surprisingly long lives. If you want to bring one of them home, be ready to take care of them for your whole life. Surprisingly, turtle’s lifespan is so great that they can also live up to a hundred years! Likewise, goes for frogs.
In the wild, frogs live more than five years. However, in-home setting, they usually live for more than 20 years. Some frog breeds can also live for more than four decades!
What is the secret behind this long life of the frog? What are the factors that affect frogs’ lifespan? How can you make your pet frog live even longer?
Let us discuss all these factors separately in this article.
Yes, you read it right. Although frogs generally have a long life, frog species are the primary determinant of their lifespan. Following is the list of lifespans of the most common pet frog species.
| Specie | Lifespan |
|---|---|
|
African Dwarf Frog |
20 Years |
|
American Green Tree Frog |
6 Years |
|
American Bullfrog |
16 Years |
|
Common Toad |
40 Years |
|
Gray Tree Frog |
15 Years |
|
Pacman Frog |
15 Years |
|
Vietnamese Mossy Frog |
15 Years |
|
White's Tree Frog |
40 Years |
However, it would be best to remember that this number mentioned is by no means a tentative list. Better care, protection, and meeting the vitals can make your frog live a lot more!
The Lifespan Of Frogs In Wild VS. In Captivity:
As for general observation, animals live much longer as pets than in the wild. For example, a green tree frog in the wild may end up living three years. However, in captivity, they can last up to 10 years!
So, whether you are in favor of the concept or not, it is what it is. See, the concept is simple. As pets, they get a lot of food, medical care, and housing with no competition. Though the man-made setup can never be compared with natural’s, it is still in favor of frogs. They don’t have to hunt food, face crisis, or are attacked by predators. With this thing in mind, let us move to the other factors affecting the frog’s lifespan.
Factors Affecting Frog's Lifespan
- Presence Of Food:
Big frogs usually live more. It is because they acquire food more easily than small ones. Also, larger ones are less dominated by other species. Moreover, the habitat of the frog supporting less competition and more food ensures a longer lifespan than the one stressed out under competition.
- Presence Of Predators:
Predators are one of the most highlighted limiting factors in determining a frog’s lifespan. Predator is an immediate crisis leading to death or severely injured in most cases. If you are thinking frogs always succumb to the big creatures. Well, you might be wrong. They have multiple amazing defense systems like releasing toxins, attacking, etc. These defense mechanisms help them in almost 70% of the predator attack.
Among the lack of food and presence of a predator, the latter one still remain significant. Frogs can survive even in a drought if they flee from their predators.
- Climate:
Climate also affects a frog’s lifespan. If the climate is humid, frogs tend to live healthier. In the uncertain, dry, or hot weather, frog’s skin gets parched. You know frogs breathe through their skin. So, if it is not functioning correctly, frog’s do not receive enough oxygen, which results in ultimate death.
- Latitude:
You might be surprised to know that even the latitude has a huge difference in the lifespan of the frog. For example, Common frogs from Europe have a lesser lifespan than those from the subarctic region.
- Gender:
Gender also seems to be a factor affecting the lifespan of the frog. Female frogs live more than male ones. The most important reason behind the greater lifespan of the frogs is that females have better defense mechanisms and live in long hibernations. Well, here you go with nature supporting feminism (chuckles).
Conclusion:
Frogs have a much longer lifespan than you can expect. They can easily live for decades and even can outlive you. They are perfect for those who cannot take the trauma to go away from their pet, even due to any physiological reason. However, there comes a challenge with that. You have to be ready to take care of your pet for the whole life from the day you bring it home.
Also, if you want your pet to live even longer (+10 years of the expected lifespan), you have to take care of all the factors influencing the health of frogs in general. Moreover, you need to take care of the habitat and environment in which it is living in the best possible way.
I hope this article helped you answer all your queries related to the frog’s lifespan. In case you want us address any other specific topic, comment below or contact us through email. We would be happy to talk about what you love to hear.
Hey, I work as a manager of a pet store in Texas. Dealing with a variety of pets is not only part of my job but also my passion. These adorable, loving creatures are so excited when they find their new home. However, many new pet owners struggle in taking care of their pets and come up with a lot of queries every day. So, based on my knowledge and experience, I am using this platform to address major issues faced by pets, their food options, grooming techniques and so on. The major issue I addressed is that most of the part-owners prefer to surf through the Internet instead of going directly to the vet. And the worst part, they are rattled with multiple types of information available there. So, my target is to provide authentic information with my experience. Walkthrough my blogs and ask any of your queries. I would love to help!
