Frog depression

[gwand]

I have had a pair of dwarf African frogs for 3 1/2 years. They have inhabited a 5 gallon planted tank all to themselves. They have been a loving pair spawning frequently over the years. The male frog died recently. The female frog acts like she is in mourning. At first, I thought she died too because I could not find her. But it turns out she has been hiding in the plants keeping completely to herself. This is very unusual behavior for her. Normally, she is out and about swimming and having fun. I do think she is going through some type of prolonged mourning- and depression-like behavior.

 

[GaryE]

Twenty years ago everyone would have been accusing you of projecting human behaviour and feelings onto an animal. Now, as we've finally had the humility to look at animals seriously, there's no reason why the frog wouldn't react with depression.
It's biochemistry in them and in us, and if they recognize their partner, which they seem to, then they would react. She may also be reacting to being alone, as a social animal.

Start writing the opera that tells this tale...I'd go to that.

 

[gwand]

Twenty years ago everyone would have been accusing you of projecting human behaviour and feelings onto an animal. Now, as we've finally had the humility to look at animals seriously, there's no reason why the frog wouldn't react with depression.
It's biochemistry in them and in us, and if they recognize their partner, which they seem to, then they would react. She may also be reacting to being alone, as a social animal.

Start writing the opera that tells this tale...I'd go to that.

In the early 1990s, I was studying the neurochemistry of depression in the hypothalamus. My model was the Siberian dwarf hamster. When the female of a pair died, or was removed from the cage, the male displayed depression like behavior. Often the male would die during a depressive episode. Interestingly, when the male died or was removed from the cage, the female did not have a depressive episode. She would readily take on a new mate. Now that is an opera.

 

[jaylach]

Birds also display this behavior. Take my cockatiel as an example. Before I got him he had a bonded mate that died, probably due to being egg bound from a severe lack of calcium in the diet. I suspect the lack of calcium due to it taking a month for him to figure out that a cuttlefish bone was something to nibble. They DO tend to bond for life just like eagles.

Anyway, before the death of his mate, it was reported that he was quite friendly and easy to handle. When I got him, seven plus years ago, he was totally cage bound and would try to draw blood if I did anything in his cage. I even tried putting a mirror in his cage to keep him company but he would attack the mirror.

Over the years with me he has gotten much better but still shows what seems like depression, especially within his cage. Outside of his cage he has made major progress but still needs work. As with humans, when a mate is lost, it can take years before the survivor is really right if they ever really are.

I've done the best I can with him and think I've made decent progress. He is still quite protective of his cage and does not like me doing things but, out of his cage, he has become much more personable as indicated in the following image.

 

[anewbie]

Given that they are not pair bonding or in nature not particular loyal to a partner i suspect she just feels insecure being alone.

 

[jaylach]

Given that they are not pair bonding or in nature not particular loyal to a partner i suspect she just feels insecure being alone.

I looked up as to if these frogs bond and, apparently, they do not. Still they are social and don't like being solo. In a way this could be seen as bonding to a group but it is still different than bonding a specific mate. It is like shoaling fish. One shoaling fish may survive but will not do as well as if in a group. While I have never kept such frogs it seems that it would be best to have a group so that, if one died, the rest would still satisfy the group social aspect and a new addition to replace the one that died would be at the low end pf the pecking order until it established itself. Just from a quick read it does seem that just having two is not the best situation.

 

[gimme30]

She just needs a little amphibian humor.

A man walks into a doctors office one day with a frog on his head.
He sits down and the doctor says, "What's the problem?"
The frog says, "Doctor, is there any way you can get this wart off my ass?"

 

[GaryE]

She just needs a little amphibian humor.

A man walks into a doctors office one day with a frog on his head.
He sits down and the doctor says, "What's the problem?"
The frog says, "Doctor, is there any way you can get this wart off my ass?"

It's good, but I also liked the one @otterblue took down saying it was a bad joke. I liked it.

I genuinely think that a lot of our small fish and I guess frogs need each other's company. I suspect that being alone sets off alarm bells. In their instincts, alone is in danger.
I've been far from home in dark forests with distance to cover. There were no dangerous predators where I was, not even other people, but I could feel myself becoming hyper vigilant and aware of all noises. It wasn't run around and crash into the glass fear, but I felt the zippiness you feel if you live in a war zone. I've long figured that lone shoaling fish live in that state. Their shoalmates are gone. Eaten? By what?

I'd expect a frog, which seems to form relationships of convenience at the frog disco, doesn't like dancing alone.