Will hand feeding frogs make them more sociable?

[DC101]

Hello everyone!
I went to a pet shop the other day and a worker there recommended that i hand feed frogs with tweezers.
They said that this will make them get used to you and become more sociable.

So, im just wondering, is this true?
Im getting 3 Green Tree Frogs (Whites Tree frogs) in a couple weeks and im going to feed them roaches and occasionally mix it up for them.

Thanks guys!

[BlueisallIneed]

I would not use tweezers, they can hurt the snout. They are aggressive eaters and will lunge at them! I hand fed my Whites for 15.5 years. I did it because I made sure he ate. He was very spoiled I don't know it is makes them more sociable but I know it was his favorite time of day! I just wore like gloves to clean the dished with and grabbed the cricket. Won’t touch then with my bare hands ewww hahah

[InfinitysDaughter]

At first I fed my Azy with tweezers but I've stopped because I could hear this awful scraping noise. I know frogs dont have teeth, per say, but it sounded like teeth on mettle and I just kept thinking it had to be painful for her. So I mostly just toss 3-4 in the tank every day or two and if I get the urge to hand feed I make sure my hands are clean both of daily muck and cleaners/chemicals (I wash my hands then rinse them with declorinated water). I dont do it often so I usually get "bit" (again, no teeth so its not like it hurts) but I think if I did do it more often she'd learn just how much lunge is needed to get her food without biting mommy. I guess in a sense if you associate you interacting with your frogs with food then they will be more sociable because they associate you with something as good as food.

But I dont think I could hand feed roaches. *shudder* I'm ok with crickets. But roaches just remind me of that one terminex commercial where the goopy monster thing comes out of the sink then dissolves into a billion roaches all over the sink. D;

[toxxxickitten]

I don't use tweezers, I use tongs to "hand feed" my frogs. I'm not sure if one would call them the same thing or not? I've had no ill effects by using them. All my frogs seem to nail their prey item(s) just fine. I use tongs because I'd rather not touch the insect that I'm feeding. I'm not sure whether it would make a frog more sociable, per say, but as mentioned she/he/they will probably begin to associate you with food, which can be a good thing! Also by hand feeding you know that your frog(s) are eating and how much, which is never a bad thing either.

[StickyFrogfeet]

I got bit by my whites once ..it felt like squishy.. it scared me because i wasn't expecting it but it didn't hurt it was an accident when he lunged for a cricket as i was puttin them in his bowl

[DC101]

I would put a bowl in the viv but i still can't really monitor their feeding because one may be more greedy than the other. Im going to have 3 in one enclosure.

Blue, do you just place the bug on your hand and hold it in front of him/her?

I would like to hand feed them so they get used to me but what do you recommend me doing? I can use plastic tweezers or...what do you think?

Thanks!

[BlueisallIneed]

I would put a bowl in the viv but i still can't really monitor their feeding because one may be more greedy than the other. Im going to have 3 in one enclosure.

Blue, do you just place the bug on your hand and hold it in front of him/her?

I would like to hand feed them so they get used to me but what do you recommend me doing? I can use plastic tweezers or...what do you think?
Thanks!

Me personally, I just use the gloves and hand it to her to eat. Any kind of tweezers, plastic, metal or wood I think might hurt them. They are nutty eaters and just will lunge. I don't let the bugs touch me lol I am a wuss, HATE crickets and there little legs hahaah. I just grab them with the gloves on and kind of bop her mouth with its head and boom GONE! I also put her in a small 10 gallon tank to feed her to make sure nothing else gets in her mouth except the food. That’s just me, to each there own

[DC101]

Me personally, I just use the gloves and hand it to her to eat. Any kind of tweezers, plastic, metal or wood I think might hurt them. They are nutty eaters and just will lunge. I don't let the bugs touch me lol I am a wuss, HATE crickets and there little legs hahaah. I just grab them with the gloves on and kind of bop her mouth with its head and boom GONE! I also put her in a small 10 gallon tank to feed her to make sure nothing else gets in her mouth except the food. That’s just me, to each there own

Thanks Blue, i might try that.
I was reading another forum and someone said that he/she pierced the insect with a pine needle and gave it to the frog.
Would that work?

[BlueisallIneed]

Thanks Blue, i might try that.
I was reading another forum and someone said that he/she pierced the insect with a pine needle and gave it to the frog.
Would that work?

That might work too, I can't pierce them, makes me feel bad enough they are getting eaten alive lol, if that might work for you,try it

[DC101]

Thanks Blue, i might try the pine needle then slowly move into feeding by hand so they are comfortable around me.
Thanks for everyones help!

[B1GFROG]

Please, please, please get tongs. Never use tweezers and surely NEVER use anything with the word "needle" in it. Literally hand feeding them with your bare hand is not recommended either. Hand feeding in my book is using tongs.

And it's definitely possible that they become more sociable. However, it seems more times than not it won't happen. I have frogs that are truly not one bit scared of me and are very sociable.

On the other hand I have frogs I've had for years that are still frightened. It all depends on the frog I guess. As I do nothing to scare them (besides being much bigger than them), ever.

[DC101]

Please, please, please get tongs. Never use tweezers and surely NEVER use anything with the word "needle" in it. Literally hand feeding them with your bare hand is not recommended either. Hand feeding in my book is using tongs.

And it's definitely possible that they become more sociable. However, it seems more times than not it won't happen. I have frogs that are truly not one bit scared of me and are very sociable.

On the other hand I have frogs I've had for years that are still frightened. It all depends on the frog I guess. As I do nothing to scare them (besides being much bigger than them), ever.

Hey big frog! Thanks for your advice!
Ive been told tongs are good but i have no idea what ones to use.
Could you...i dunno...post a pic of yours or find one on google for me? I would really appreciate it. Its just that im not sure what "tongs" are good to use.

[B1GFROG]

David, you can honestly find these at any big pet store in or around the Reptiles & Amphibians section.

Here is a picture from Petco's website.

Zoo Med Super Deluxe Stainless Steel Feeding Tongs at PETCO

[BlueisallIneed]

Stainless steel tongs are the worst for a Whites. They lung when they eat. Your bound to hurt the snont. Just my experience with them and other friends of mine. To each there own I guess.

[BlueisallIneed]

David, you can honestly find these at any big pet store in or around the Reptiles & Amphibians section.

Here is a picture from Petco's website.

Zoo Med Super Deluxe Stainless Steel Feeding Tongs at PETCO

I actually bought this exact ones and it scraped my whites snout the two times I tried with her. Not good at all.

[NatureLady]

I don't hand feed mine, I feed from a glass bowl. My little Pimby jumps straight to his bowl and eats his food while my hand is still near. I would not feed with the tongs that look like tweezers either. Like Blue said, to each their own. Just my thoughts

[arielgasca420]

I started using plastic tongs because my pacman is way too aggressive for hand feeding (even with gloves). I used the tongs to feed him superworms but he gets intimidated by the tongs and goes straight for my knuckles. Plus, the tongs got stuck in his mouth one time and it took 5 minutes for him to finally let go. I took a video of it too and he had such a strong hold on them. after that I just started throwing crickets in there and let him gobble them up.
tree frogs are different and gloves would work because their mouth is not as powerful as my pacmans. now, would it make them more sociable? I dont know, they seem to have a balanced temperament once they are in your hands. wear gloves though because if you dont than every time you stick your fingers in there he may think it is feeding time.
I still use plastic tongs to toss the superworms in the cage for my pixie frog. every time my pixie sees them he gets very excited because he knows its time to eat

[DC101]

Stainless steel tongs are the worst for a Whites. They lung when they eat. Your bound to hurt the snont. Just my experience with them and other friends of mine. To each there own I guess.

I have to agree with blue on this one, those do look nasty and I've seen plenty of videos of whites eating and when you say lunge, they lunge!

Amanda, i would love to use a glass bowl but i am getting 3 so it may not work for them

arielgasca420, i can just imagine your pixie getting excited! It would be so cute!!! Thanks for the advice!

Ill do some more research and check out some more pet stores and see what they got.
Just one question, would these tweezers be ok?:

http://www.exo-terra.com/en/products/tongs.php

Thanks!!!

[B1GFROG]

I actually bought this exact ones and it scraped my whites snout the two times I tried with her. Not good at all.

The tong ends shouldn't be anywhere near the frog's mouth/snout. You should grab the food in a way that if the frog does indeed lung, it would grab more insect than tong. That's what I do, and it's what I've always done.

Could you explain how this exactly happened? In all of my years of frogkeeping, I've never seen this. The whole concept of hand feeding is basically to get close to the frog and feed it, why would you keep it far away enough for her to lung at it? You should simply put the food right by the frog's mouth.


Again, the obvious answer is to never hand feed. I agree with that, but for someone who wants too, tongs are the best choice compared to anything else. IMO that is. I've never had any problems, ever. It doesn't have to be the tongs I posted, David's link looks pretty good as well. Just keep anything involving a needle out of this!!! lolol

[DC101]

I forgot to thank you Bigfrog for your post before. So...Thanks!

I do understand your point about the tweezers and i may mod them by putting something soft on the ends
When i said pine needle, it isn't actually a needle, its part of a plant Although, thanks for looking out for me.

Anyway, any others that use different methods?