Pacman Frog Bite: Do You Need Medical Attention?

As a new Pacman frog owner, you might be concerned about the Pacman frog bite and the necessity of medical attention in such cases. Also, this will be cool to know beforehand whether Pacman frogs bite or not, if their bite is poisonous, what to do, etc. Again, if your Pacman frog has already bitten you, this article is definitely for you.

Usually, Pacman frogs can bite you for several reasons. If there is blood due to bites, you should clean the wound with water. Afterward, apply an antiseptic or petroleum jelly on the wound. The Pacman frog bites aren’t poisonous at all. Hence, you don’t need any medical attention if a Pacman frog bites you.

If you’re interested to know the detail about Pacman frog bites, I urge you to go through this article. I’ve conducted some researches and found out some unique information about the Pacman frog bite.

This article will help you take the necessary steps if you ever get bitten by your Pacman frog too. So, let’s jump into the list without any further ado.

Can Pacman Frogs Bite?

As a Pacman frog keeper, probably, you enjoy your frog activities a lot, like-  burrow, keeping his big mouth open, and so on. Amidst all of this fun, a question might pop out of your mind – can Pacman frogs bite?

Pacman frogs can bite you. Only a few amphibians and reptiles can bite, and the Pacman frog is one of them.

Along with this question, I want to let you know a few more things about their jaw and teeth. These will help you get enlightened more about a Pacman frog bite.

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Do Pacman Frogs Have Teeth?

You must have known already that Pacman frogs can prey as big as them. From this characteristic, this is very clear that these frogs have a strong jaw. Again, you’ll see small teeth inside the mouth of a Pacman frog if you notice well.

Pacman frogs have teeth. We can split the teeth of a Pacman frog into two sets- vomerine teeth and maxillary teeth. Not to mention, these teeth are very sharp and pointy.

But, Pacman frogs do not use their teeth to chew their prey. They use it to keep their prey under control till they become ready to swallow or eat the prey.

So, you can say that the teeth of Pacman frogs help them lead a good ambush lifestyle. Now, let’s get to know how strong a Pacman frog bite can be!

How Strong Is A Pacman Frog Bite?

Have you ever got such an unfortunate opportunity to get bitten by a Pacman frog? If you do, then you must have known how strong a Pacman frog bite is!

A Pacman frog can give you a pretty powerful bite. A small Pacman frog with 4.5 cm head width can bite you with a force of 30 newtons or 3 kg! But, it’s a pretty less painful bite comparing with the bites of the other animals.

There have been several types of research about the strength of a Pacman frog bite. In those researches, the comparison between head to body size has been a significant factor for measuring their bite force.

Again, people can find some species of Pacman frogs in the tropical lowlands of South America. Those Pacman frogs with 10 centimeters head width can give bites of almost 500 newtons force.

Moreover, a study shows us some interesting information about the ancestors of Pacman frogs.

The researchers found that Devil Toad or Beelzebufo, an ancestor of Pacman frogs, had bite forces similar to a tiger. Those frogs had such strong bites of 2200 newtons force. That bite force is nearly the same as the bite force of modern wolves or tigers.

However, the bite force of your pet Pacman frog isn’t too strong to hurt you severely.

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Why Do Pacman Frogs Bite?

As I’ve already described how strong are Pacman frog bites, you should know about the reasons for their biting too. If you know the potential reasons beforehand, you can avoid such situations in the future.

There are only three main factors which cause a Pacman frog to bite their owner. They are-

• Defense Mechanism
• Being stressed
• Mistaken the owner’s hands as foods

I’ll describe these three potential reasons thoroughly.

1. Defense Mechanism 

The very first reason that I want to point out for a Pacman frog bite is their defense mechanism. It’s pretty natural to expect from any animal. If any animal feels threatened, it may bite or attack you as its defense mechanism.

The same thing goes for a Pacman frog as well. You might have known that Pacman frogs are pretty aggressive. No matter if they are male or female, they are used to defend themselves in their danger.

Again, you may know that Pacman frogs tend to eat everything whatever fits in their mouth. So, they’ll attack and bite if you make them feel threatened. Your improper handling or holding at the wrong time can make them feel so.

As a result, your Pacman frog ends up giving you a shocking bite!

So, be careful when you take your hand close to it or try to hold it. Your Pacman frogs aren’t one of those shy creatures. Rather they’ll assume it as a threat and bite you.

2. Being Stressed

If your Pacman frogs become stressed or uncomfortable, this can lead them to bite you. Along with defense mechanisms, stress is also an important factor for their biting.

This happens especially in the case of the new pet Pacman frog. If you bring a Pacman frog to pet, at first, he may not be comfortable with you. So, if you try to touch or hold them, it will cause stress to your Pacman frog. As a result, the frog may bite his new owner.

Another necessary thing to note is that a Pacman frog has sensitive skin. They do not like to be touched or held at all.

Moreover, Pacman frogs do not like to socialize at all. Keeping them with other animals can also freak them out. These reasons make them super uncomfortable and stressed.

Otherwise, a Pacman frog doesn’t usually bite his owner. You must also remove the stress-causing factors from their habitat.

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3. Mistaken Fingers As Foods

The last probable cause for a Pacman frog bite can be their mistake. Yes! You heard it right. Pacman frogs often bite the hands of their owner mistaken them as their foods.

This happens especially when you try to hand feed them. If you are a beginner or new owner, you should avoid hand-feeding a Pacman frog. Your Pacman frog may bite you mistakenly if you do not know the feeding techniques properly.

To avoid the bites of their razor-sharp teeth, you can use the tong feed method. Besides, you can encourage your Pacman frogs to natural haunting. For this, you need to use live foods too.

Is The Pacman Frog Bite Poisonous?

I’ve already described that Pacman frogs are the only rare frogs with Maxillary teeth and Vomerine teeth. So, this information can confuse a little bit. Hence, this may leave you wondering if the Pacman frog bite is poisonous or not.

The Pacman frog bite isn’t poisonous at all.

Neither Pacman frogs nor their bites are toxic. Even if you get their bites, there’s no need to worry. Let’s get to know if Pacman frog bites hurt or not.

Do Pacman Frog Bites Hurt?

If your Pacman frog already bites you, you’ll better know the answer. Otherwise, if you’re just curious to know beforehand, you’re welcome too. I’ve asked a few Pacman frog owners about their experience with Pacman frog bites.

You’ll get hurt a little bit because of being bitten with Pacman frog’s razor-sharp teeth. But, the pain isn’t deadly or intolerable at all. Those, who faced such a situation, confirmed to get a little shock also. In the worst scenario, Pacman frog bites can draw blood.

Also, their bites can cause some discomfort. Sometimes they hold on instead of letting go. These can make a person panic.

But, don’t worry. All you need is to take proper actions quickly. For detailed information, I’ll describe this in the following ‘what to do’ section.

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Do You Need Medical Attention For Pacman Frog Bite?

As a beginner Pacman frog owner, it’s pretty normal to get worried if your Pacman frog bites you. On the other hand, many experienced owners do not know whether they need medical attention in such a situation or not. Because they may not face such occurrences before.

You do not need to get any medical attention for Pacman frog bites. Because their bites aren’t poisonous.

Moreover, the wound of the bite won’t be serious too. In short, you can say that the entire incident to get bitten isn’t too severe to get any medical attention.

What To Do If A Pacman Frog Bites You?

Instead of panicking, you must follow some instructions if a Pacman frog bites you. Also, it’s good to know “what to do” beforehand.

Let’s take a quick look.

1. Firstly, don’t make the mistake of shaking it off vigorously. That’ll put more stress on your Pacman frog.
2. Give it some more time. After a while, the Pacman frog may leave his bite on his own.
3. If the Pacman frog doesn’t let go, put your hands with the frog underwater. 
4. Some owners shared their experiences where they used forceps to open up the frog’s jaw. After that, they slowly removed their fingers from the claws of the frog’s sharp teeth.
5. Now, check how deep your wound is. Is there any sign of blood or not!
6. If the Pacman frog bite draws blood from you, you must clean the injury using an antiseptic.
7. Then, put a band-aid over the wound skin.
8. Moreover, you can use petroleum jelly on your wound. Because petroleum jelly helps the injured skin heal quickly by keeping it moist.
9. But, you must seek professional medical help if your pain is increasing.

What Is The Likelihood Of Getting Bitten By A Pacman Frog?

Not to mention, Pacman frogs do not usually bite when they become comfortable with their owner. As stated before in this article, Pacman frogs bite the owner when they feel threatened or mistakenly. Otherwise, these frogs are pretty shy, solitary pets.

The likelihood of being bitten by a Pacman frog is very less. There is very little chance of pulling out your hands bloody after holding them or reaching out to their tank.

You only need to hold them comfortably without making them freaked out. Don’t forget to wash your hands before touching your Pacman frog. But, I strongly discourage you to hold your Pacman frog without any solid reason.

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Final Words

The teeth of Pacman frogs are only to hold their prey and swallow. They do not usually have any intention to bite you without any exact reasons. Even if a Pacman frog bites you, don’t get worried. After all, the bites aren’t life-risky for you.