Learn about this amphibian’s diet.

Frogs are fascinating creatures. Through the process of metamorphosis, they undergo a complete transformation during their lifetime. Contrary to fairy tale belief, however, they do not change into princes when kissed.

Life Cycle

 

A frog begins life as an egg laid in a puddle, pond or lake. Tadpoles hatch from the eggs, looking like little fish and even breathing with gills. The tadpoles are herbivorous, eating algae.

When they go through the final stage of metamorphosis, they grow back legs and then front legs. Their gills disappear as they develop lungs Their digestive system changes and they become carnivores. Finally, the tail is resorbed into the body.

Once the frog is a fully-formed adult, it can live a long life. While not much is known about the life span of toads and frogs in the wild, in captivity frogs have lived as long as 40 years.

What do Frogs Eat?

There are many species of frogs, found all over the world except in Antarctica. What do frogs eat? Frogs are carnivorous, which means they eat other animals. Small frogs eat insects, worms and snails. Some species eat small fish. Larger frog species eat small reptiles and mammals, like mice and lizards. Frogs do not chew, so all of their prey is swallowed whole.

Certain frog species have a long sticky tongue that they use to catch flying insects. It is amazing how quickly they do this. The entire process of the tongue unrolling, catching the fly and then rolling back into the mouth takes less than a second. Frogs that do not have tongues use their fingers to put food into their mouths.

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Frogs as Pets

Frogs can be kept as pets, but their long life span means a long-term pet care commitment. They aren’t the liveliest pets, either, since the larger species are amphibious couch-potatoes and don’t move around very  much.

If you decide to get a pet frog, do your research. There are many, many species, and some of the smallest young frogs will be huge as fully grown adults.

Other things to consider are whether or not your species of frog needs to hibernate, and what type of tank is needed: aquatic, semi-aquatic or terrestrial.

A frog can be a good pet, as long as you are aware of the commitment involved.