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Frogs and Alcohol - Writing Question

MeganM

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Hello,

I joined this forum because I'm a fiction writer and a frog character features heavily in the series I'm writing, so I'm hoping you won't mind if I pop in and ask a strange question from time to time. Here's the first:

If a frog were to drink/absorb alcohol (wine, a gulp or two) would that kill it? Would it anesthetize it? Would the frog go stumbling about drunkenly? I've searched for an answer to this question and can't find one. Probably because it's not the type of thing people generally go around testing. Still, I thought I'd ask in case anyone has ideas. (Don't worry, I'm not killing any frogs, even fictionally - it's a fairy tale story.)

Also, do frogs ever drink through the mouth, or are all liquids absorbed through the skin?
 

sergé

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I think it will die, slowly...but depending on the percentage. In museums they are stored in 70-80% alcohol so wiskey and wodka will kill them fast.But I never tried...

And they never drink actively through their mouth as their skin is permeable they can easier catch up water thorugh their skin. Toads and tree frogs can do this to a lesser extent as their skin is thicker to prevent them from drying out, but they have thinner skin between their hind legs where they can take up water with just by sitting in the water.
 

sde

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Yah I definitely think that it would kill it. Well it depends on the species. If a bullfrog did it might not because bullfrogs are super immune to stuff and are super tuff ( no rime intended. ) -Seth
 
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