Freshwater frogs in salt water

Wiskel · Mar 21, 2011

Wierd question time.

Can a freshwater frog survive unharmed in salt water for a short time? say about 30 mins.

Would they still be ok if they swam 30mins in salt water, were on dry land for, say, long enough to hijack a boat, then swam another 30 mins in salt water before being able to swim in fresh water to have the frog version of a shower?

Google will only tell me that there are saltwater frogs which isn't what I need to know.

Disclaimer.....No frogs were, will be, or should be harmed in the answering of this random question about whether frogs would make a good special forces team.

Craig

Kitty Pryde · Mar 21, 2011

IRL, i would think no. Salt water would pull water out of their bodies, and froggies are pretty delicate critters. But if you have a frog who can hijack a boat, i'd be willing to suspend disbelief and think that the salt water is mere unpleasant to him

perhaps if he's that clever, he might have some sort of froggy dry suit to protect him from the brine?

Synovia · Mar 21, 2011

They might be able to, although its probably going to depend on concentration, etc.

I know when amphibians are sick, people will soak them in Amphibian Ringers solution, which is Water, NaCL, KCl, CaCl2. Its a weak saline solution.

Wiskel · Mar 21, 2011

I'm specifically thinking seawater. I can cut down the exposure time if I need to but I want my frogs to be low tech so drysuits are out.

They don't mind a little discomfort for the cause, but I want them to have to obey the same rules as a normal frog would (erm, apart from the boatjacking anyway) if a normal frog would be incapacitated then I wouldn't ask my frogs to do it.

Craig

Drachen Jager · Mar 21, 2011

Get them to grease themselves up. That would block the pores for a while, something thick like lanolin or axle grease might do the trick.

Prawn · Mar 21, 2011

Sure. I have an aquarium, and I know that others with larger fish in saltwater tanks often buy simple freshwater gold fish as feeder fish for their larger fish. If the gold fish aren't eaten immediately, they will last in salt water for a day or two before it kills them. I am sure that a frog could go for half an hour.

Silver King · Mar 21, 2011

Wiskel said:
I'm specifically thinking seawater.

The location of your story might make a difference, as some bodies of seawater contain very low concentrations of salt, while others are quite high in content. The type of frog would make a difference, too, in how quickly it could adapt or perish to such a condition.

Sage · Mar 21, 2011

I don't know the answer, but my suggestion for searching is to use "salt toxicity" instead of "saltwater"

Collectonian · Mar 21, 2011

For a brief time, yes, though it would help to make it a species with a higher salt tolerance, or have the salt water be an area with a lower concentration.

Per Mr. Science: http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=149021280058

and Froggyville: http://www.froggyville.com/frogfaq.htm

Wiskel · Mar 22, 2011

Genius

Thank you everyone. it looks like it's at least plausible for my frogs just so long as I acknowledge the problem in the story. i was just a little worried that they might be incapacitated in a very short time.

I think I'll have a convenient freshwater river opening up near the beach to dilute the seawater down.

Craig

Freshwater frogs in salt water

Wiskel

practical experience, FTW

Kitty Pryde

i luv you giant bear statue

Synovia

practical experience, FTW

Wiskel

practical experience, FTW

Drachen Jager

Professor of applied misanthropy

Prawn

Writing is finite,revising infinite

Silver King

Megalops Erectus

Sage

Our Lady of Parentheticals

Collectonian

Inclined to eclectic eccentricity

Wiskel

practical experience, FTW