There are many reasons to be interested in frog poop.
Perhaps you’re a frog keeper and wish to check the digestive health of your animal.
Or perhaps you found an unexplained turd in your home, and you’re looking to find the culprit.
Whatever your reasons for being here, this article should teach you everything you need to know about frog poop.
In This Article
What You’ll Learn
In this article, we’ll provide answers to common questions about frog poop, such as:
- Do frogs poop?
- How do frogs poop?
- Is frog poop dangerous?
- What does frog poop look like?
You’ll learn to distinguish:
- Frog poop vs. rat poop
- Frog poop vs. snake poop
On top of that, we’ll include plenty of frog poop pictures.
These images should help to provide keepers with an understanding of what their frog’s poop should look like, including:
- Tree frog poop
- Pacman frog poop
Do Frogs Poop?
Yes, like all animals, frogs DO poop.
Pooping allows animals to rid their bodies of undigested waste products from food.
Without pooping, frogs quickly become bloated and sluggish. Constipation can lead to difficulty breathing and ultimately rupture the intestinal wall – causing death.
If your frog isn’t pooping, you should consult a specialist exotics vet as soon as possible.
Gastrointestinal impaction is a common cause of constipation in captive frogs. It’s often a result of the ingestion of non-food items such as gravel or moss.
You can read more about this problem here.
How Do Frogs Poop?
Amphibians – like birds, reptiles, and sharks – expel waste products from an opening known as the cloaca.
The cloaca or vent is a single opening that connects to the digestive tract, urinary tract, and reproductive system.
The cloaca expels both solid and liquid waste.
What Does Frog Poop Look Like?
Frog poop is often extremely large relative to the frog’s body size.
It can be up to a quarter of the animal’s snout to vent length!
Frogs are incredibly opportunistic animals. They eat large quantities of food during times of plenty, to see them through until their next meal.
Their large stomachs – and tendency to eat large meals – lead to large poops as a result.
Want to learn more about frog eating habits? Check out our article dedicated to frog diets.
Frogs are adapted for large meals and large poops, so a giant turd needn’t be cause for concern.
Frog poop is usually dark brown or black and somewhat cylindrical. It is firm and shiny when fresh.
Once dry, frog poop often shrinks in size.
Frog Poop Pictures
We scoured the internet to choose images of healthy frog and toad poops.
These images should give you a good idea of what healthy frog poops should look like and an example of what they shouldn’t look like.
Tree Frog Poop
There are numerous arboreal frog species classified as “tree frogs” – even though many are only distantly related.
Among them, the White’s tree frog (Ranoidea cerulae), green tree frog (Hyla cinerea), and grey tree frog (Dryophytes versicolor) are the most commonly kept in captivity.
Pacman Frog Poop
Pacman frogs are large, colorful frogs in the genus Ceratophrys.
These frogs are best known for their unusual appearance and voracious appetites.
They can handle enormous meals and devour relatively large prey, including small vertebrates such as snakes and rodents.
Their poops reflect these unusual dietary choices.
As you can see from this video by YouTube user Reptiliatus, these frogs can produce some enormous turds.
Viewer discretion is advised!
Though it might look uncomfortable, frogs are well adapted for producing giant poops and rarely experience issues as a result of defecation.
Toad Poop
Toads are a type of frog, and there’s no solid scientific distinction between the two groups.
People tend to refer to all frogs with warty skin as toads.
Members of the family “Bufonidae” are the true toads. This group includes some of the largest frog species, such as the cane toad (Rhinella marina).
Check out our article on the difference between frogs and toads to learn more.
As you might expect, large toads can produce some enormous poops.
This video by YouTube user Amrit Magar shows just how huge toad poop can be.
Welcome to the weird side of the internet.
Is Frog Poop Dangerous?
Frog poop is not overly dangerous, but do treat it with some caution (like any poop).
It can harbor pathogenic bacteria and parasites, some of which can infect humans.
Among the disease-causing agents found in frog poop are Salmonella bacteria, which are responsible for food poisoning.
Salmonellosis – a form of food poisoning – can be severely uncomfortable!
Pinworms can also inhabit amphibian poop. Pinworms are a common parasite of amphibians and humans.
Pinworms are responsible for more infections in the United States than any other worm species.
Always wash your hands after any contact with frog poop.
To clean up amphibian messes, use an antibacterial disinfectant and some kitchen towel or tissue paper.
Frog Poop vs. Snake Poop
Frogs, lizards, and snakes can enter homes on occasion.
Usually, none should be cause for concern. Most snakes and nearly all frogs and lizards are essentially harmless to humans.
Some snake species do possess a venomous bite.
Venomous snakes don’t attack humans without provocation but can pose a serious hazard when living in close proximity to humans or pets.
Whether it’s a snake, lizard, or a frog, droppings can be useful in identifying your cold-blooded visitor.
Snake poop looks vastly different from frog poop. Rather than a firm pellet, snakes tend to leave more of a slimy mess – reminiscent of bird poop.
Lizard poop is more of a pellet shape – like frog poop. Otherwise, lizard and snake poop look quite similar.
Also in common with birds, snake or lizard poop should be partially white or contain white streaks.
This white deposit is called uric acid. Birds and reptiles don’t urinate – as mammals do. Instead, they secrete uric acid alongside their poop.
Frogs – on the other hand – are champion urinators and can release surprisingly vast quantities of urine at a time!
Some species will urinate as a defense mechanism when threatened.
Snake poop often contains undigested fur from their rodent-based diet.
If you find a slimy, brown-and-white poop in your home (similar to a bird’s), a snake may have visited you.
If you find evidence of a snake in your home, call a professional to have it safely removed.
If you live in the United States, you may be able to find somebody willing to relocate unwanted snakes for FREE using the free snake relocation directory on Facebook.
Join the group and check out their map to find a snake relocator in your area.
Frog Poop vs. Rat Poop
Both rat and frog poop can harbor diseases such as Salmonella and worms. Rat poop can also spread other severe conditions, such as:
- Leptospirosis
- Rat-Bite Fever
- Hemorrhagic Fever
- Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus
Unlike frogs, rats can also infest homes and become a serious nuisance.
Rat poop and frog poop can look quite similar.
Rat droppings are usually around 3/4 inches long and roughly cylindrical. They may taper at one or both ends.
They are brown to black when fresh, fading to grey over time.
Thankfully, there are some differences to watch out for.
Rats live in groups and usually deposit large quantities of droppings in an area while on the move.
Frogs poop far less frequently than rats and don’t generally live in groups.
If you find a large concentration of droppings in one area, these are more likely to be rodent droppings than frog poop.
Frog poops are (usually) smaller than rat poops, depending on the species.
Illustration: Max Henderson (for Reptile.Guide)
Frogs are nothing to be concerned about and will even munch pests, such as ants and cockroaches.
Rats are a whole different story! If you find evidence of a rat infestation, call a local pest control agency for advice.
Were you as shocked by the size of frog poop as we were? Let us know in the comments section!