# can frogs learn?



## oneshot (Mar 5, 2010)

So, do frogs learn? What I'm really interested in, is if a timid frog can learn that the human won't hurt him.


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## Keni (Feb 1, 2017)

I teach dart frog obedience classes. Bring your frogs to me with the $100 fee and 1month later I will return them. (Any eggs laid will be mine to keep). Satisfaction not guaranteed and the fee is non refindable....😌🙃


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

Yes, to a certain extent they can learn. 
They learn where their dinner plate is, (where you drop the flies). 
If you put a viv in the frogroom, and you are the only one in there from time to time, they hide more.
If you put that same viv in your living room, or another high traffic area of the house, they seem to get used to the disturbances, and can become much bolder. Many people have noted that on DB over the years.

Maybe this next one is a little far fetched, but I swear I've had frogs learn that I steal their children to sell into slavery! They become increasingly better at hiding their eggs, and quit laying in the same place more than twice. Maybe I need to offer them a cut of the proceeds?

I'm fairly sure, however, that you won't ever get them to do your taxes for you.


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## OllieNZ (Apr 6, 2012)

I'm also intrigued if they come to recognise the food God? My fish all do, some will happily take food from my fingers and pester me for more when I'm doing maintenance.


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## Keni (Feb 1, 2017)

OllieNZ said:


> I'm also intrigued if they come to recognise the food God? My fish all do, some will happily take food from my fingers and pester me for more when I'm doing maintenance.


I am also the food god!


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## Betta132 (May 12, 2012)

Frogs, fish, snakes, even invertebrates can learn. I've had fish that would come beg for food from me and hide from everyone else. Your frogs might always be too timid to come out, I'm not sure a year or two of good experiences can override thousands of generations of "big things are BAD and will hurt you" instinct, but they can absolutely learn things in general.


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

I had a sailfin tang that recognized me, but would hide from anybody else.


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## Ravage (Feb 5, 2016)

Goldfish can be trained to play soccer, so, of course frogs can learn and be trained. Just please don't train them to open tiny beers for a Corona commercial ( just because you can do something, doesn't me you should)





The bigger question is: will humans learn ?


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## rmp (Oct 28, 2015)

An Oophaga mother remembers which of the clutches in a male's territory are hers, transports the tadpoles to bromeliads up in the trees, and then remembers exactly where they are to go feed them eggs every few days. So yes, they do learn.


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## chulainnledsom (Mar 28, 2017)

I imagine you could condition them (pavlov, skinner) ect however I think thats different from learning


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## Nemesis713 (Feb 1, 2016)

This frog seems to have some thinking skills.

https://youtu.be/l3uO2lO9JDk


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## Betta132 (May 12, 2012)

Honestly, I'd say the bullfrog is more likely acting on instinct, which is programming, not intelligence. 
For example, beavers don't actually know what they're doing when they build a dam. If you place speakers in a line through a forest, playing the sound of running water, the beavers build dams across the line until the water sound stops. The bullfrog probably has similar programming to get the tadpoles out of drying-up puddles. 

It'd certainly be interesting to try to condition frogs. You could probably set up a little bell-and-string contraption that could ring a bell right before you come to feed them, and see if the bell eventually makes them excited.


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## Scott (Feb 17, 2004)

I'm more interested in seeing if froggers can learn.

s


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## Nemesis713 (Feb 1, 2016)

I agree that the bullfrog is acting on instinct. I just thought it was a cool video. My frogs seem to have very simple programming. I think my fish have more going on upstairs.


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## OllieNZ (Apr 6, 2012)

Pumilo said:


> I had a sailfin tang that recognized me, but would hide from anybody else.


I had a tank full of Malawi cichlids that would do the same. They got used to the family eventually but anyone else walking into the living room caused them all to hide. I'd always have people ask me when I was going to put fish in there, the look on their faces when I told them there was over 30 fish in there was priceless


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## jake9134 (Apr 28, 2010)

My frogs are conditioned to come out when I tap the dusting cup on the lid of the vivarium. Also when they see me they come out of hiding and watch me in anticipation of a feeding.


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## LRB (Jan 22, 2017)

Almost all my frogs seems to recognize me as the Keeper of the Flies. When I approach their vivs without the food cup, they don't hide, but also don't try to approach me. If I have the fly cup in my hand they come right up to where I feed them, so yes I believe they learn. I just got 5 Robertus a week ago and it only took the 3-4 days to learn that I am the one who feeds and thus they have nothing to fear. My R. Imitators and Iquitos are the only ones that don't come to the feeding plate while I am there.


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

LRB said:


> ...I just got 5 Robertus a week ago and it only took the 3-4 days to learn...


3-4 days? You should start yours on Taxes for Dummies, right away!


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## ATA86 (Feb 11, 2017)

I usually hand mist my Tinctorius tank before feeding, they have they appear to have developed a strong association between that and food appearing.


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