What is a Natural Attack?

[Tarondor]

I'm confused about what defines a natural attack.

Is a boggard's tongue a natural attack? If I assume the form of a boggard using the alter self spell, do I get the boggard's sticky tongue attack?

[Azurespark]

Yes a bogard's tongue is a natural attack. As are things like, claws, bite, gore, talons. Basically if a creatures stat block lists an attack under offense, and it's not a manufactured weapon, unarmed strike, or spell, then it's a natural attack.

Here's a table of natural attacks.
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/rules-for-monsters/universal-monster-rules #TOC-Natural-Attacks

No you don't gain a tongue attack from using Alter Self, because it says that you only gain the following abilities (darkvision 60 feet, low-light vision, scent, and swim 30 feet) if the original creature has them. You would have to use beastshape if you wanted anymore than that.

[John Murdock]

a tongue is not a natural attack/weapon, its a special touch attack that the boggard has, like a incorporeal has a special incorporeal touch attack

[Tarondor]

So how, when I look at creature's stats, do I differentiate natural attacks from others? I mean, frogs do have tongue attacks (just ask a fly).

Is it that the sticky tongue attack is listed as (Ex) (extraordinary)?

[John Murdock]

i have seen frog tongue attack, and i retract my statement, i was thinking it was not a natural attack because of the sticky tongue abilities, so yes a tongue is a secondary natural attack

[blahpers]

Azurespark wrote:

Yes a bogard's tongue is a natural attack. As are things like, claws, bite, gore, talons. Basically if a creatures stat block lists an attack under offense, and it's not a manufactured weapon, unarmed strike, or spell, then it's a natural attack.

Here's a table of natural attacks.
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/rules-for-monsters/universal-monster-rules #TOC-Natural-Attacks

No you don't gain a tongue attack from using Alter Self, because it says that you only gain the following abilities (darkvision 60 feet, low-light vision, scent, and swim 30 feet) if the original creature has them. You would have to use beastshape if you wanted anymore than that.

Any polymorph spell gives you the natural attacks of the chosen form:

Magic wrote:

In addition to these benefits, you gain any of the natural attacks of the base creature, including proficiency in those attacks. These attacks are based on your base attack bonus, modified by your Strength or Dexterity as appropriate, and use your Strength modifier for determining damage bonuses.

Edit: I don't think you get the sticky tongue part, but you still get the tongue. I guess you could deliver a held charge with it.

[Scott Wilhelm]

Since the list of Natural Attacks in the Universal Monster Rules has a an item called "Other," it is clear that a creature could have a Tongue Natural Attack. But the description of the Boggard linked to by the OP calls its tongue out as a Special Attack. Insofar as that matters, it looks like the Boggard's tongue is not a Natural Attack, or at least any GM could easily say so without deviating from RAW.

On the other hand, the Froghemoth's Tongue Attack clearly is a Natural Attack: it is listed as being part of the creature's Full Attack Action with other Natural Attacks.

[Ascalaphus]

I don't think there's any problem with a tongue being both a special attack and a natural attack.

If it's a specific body part it's probably a natural attack.