Fear of frogs and toads is both a
specific phobia, known simply as frog phobia or ranidaphobia (from ''
ranidae'', the most widespread
family
Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...
of frogs), and a
superstition
A superstition is any belief or practice considered by non-practitioners to be irrational or supernatural, attributed to fate or magic, perceived supernatural influence, or fear of that which is unknown. It is commonly applied to beliefs and ...
common to the
folkways of many cultures.
Psychiatric speciality literature uses the simple term "fear of frogs" rather than any specialized term. The term batrachophobia has also been recorded in a 1953 psychiatric dictionary.
Popular beliefs
According to some, the sight of a
frog
A frog is any member of a diverse and largely Carnivore, carnivorous group of short-bodied, tailless amphibians composing the order (biology), order Anura (ανοὐρά, literally ''without tail'' in Ancient Greek). The oldest fossil "proto-f ...
may be a bad
omen
An omen (also called ''portent'') is a phenomenon that is believed to foretell the future, often signifying the advent of change. It was commonly believed in ancient times, and still believed by some today, that omens bring divine messages fr ...
. As well, a common myth says that touching frogs and
toad
Toad is a common name for certain frogs, especially of the family Bufonidae, that are characterized by dry, leathery skin, short legs, and large bumps covering the parotoid glands.
A distinction between frogs and toads is not made in scientif ...
s may give one
warts. (In many other cultures, frogs are considered a good omen.) A survey carried out by researchers from the
Johannesburg Zoo
The Johannesburg Zoo is a zoo in Johannesburg, South Africa. The zoo is dedicated to the accommodation, enrichment, husbandry, and medical care of wild animals, and houses about 2000 individuals of 320 species. Established in 1904, it has trad ...
have shown that in modern times old superstitions play a less significant role and modern children are more concerned whether frogs are poisonous or harmless.
As a phobia
Phobia against frogs often happens after seeing frogs die violently. One case of severe fear of frogs has been described in ''
Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry
The ''Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry'' is a quarterly peer-reviewed scientific journal covering research on psychopathology, primarily from an experimental psychology perspective. It was established in 1970 and is publish ...
'' in 1983: a woman developed an extreme fear of frogs after a
traumatic incident in which her
lawn mower ran over a group of frogs and killed them.
Portuguese shopkeepers are using ceramic frogs to deter Roma people.
See also
*
List of phobias
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fear Of Frogs
Zoophobias
Frogs
Superstitions