Hornworms?

[Jace]

Here in Canada, we are somewhat limited in the food sources we can provide to our frogs. Locusts and roaches are out. At least where I am. Then, out of the blue, I was offered a chance to try hornworms with my Giant African Bullfrogs and jumped at the chance. Only after I placed my order did I wonder if such a food was even good for my frogs. Has anyone fed these to their bullfrogs? Are they a good variety to offer? Thanks in advance!

[tikonides]

good question...Idk but I'd like to find out also, hopefully someone chimes in

[Lacibeth]

Hornworms are part of the Sphingidae family of moths: hornworms, hawkmoths, and sphinx moths. If you've ever heard a gardener cursing tomato hornworms--they're in the same family. Off the top of my head I can't think of a problem using them as a food source. Waxworms are another moth larva which a keeper told me one were "squishy bags of fat", so I don't know if they would be a good staple food.

[chamowner]

PROS:Their green color makes them great for stimulating feeding response.
CONS: Monstrous eaters growing to huge size extremely quick.
68% protein, 20.7% fat
Excellent feeder, but remember variety is the spice of life.

[BG]

Variety!!!!!!!!!!

[Jace]

Thanks everyone! I thought I read some where they were a good food source, but then blanked. My frogs staple are earthworms, which I can get year round. I occassionally give them crickets, but because my male is so large, he barely registers he's swallowed 20 of them in 30 seconds, so that could get expensive. I was breeding hissing cockroaches, but they took too long to get to a decent size and the babies escaped everywhere which did not make me popular in my household. Hornworms are a seasonal food, but I will try and get them as I can just so my boy and girl can have a nice treat. Very excited now!

[MonsterPyxie]

there good enough for bear grylls! haha.

why no dubia? customs or something?

[UncleChester]

Like one of these? Quite frankly I'm afraid of them. I've probably read Dune too many times.

Is their diet a potential concern? The Tomato hornworm devours tomato plants, which are in the nightshade family and are poisonous to some stuff. I might be spreading fear for fears sake, but I'd be wary of using a hornworm that came from the wild. I'd imagine any source that breeds them for feeders wouldn't feed them a potentially toxic diet though, and I don't know why else you'd breed them. Except possibly to sabotage a competing tomato farmers crop. Or fishing bait I suppose. Or maybe to ride during your insurrection.

[Lacibeth]

Like one of these? Quite frankly I'm afraid of them. I've probably read Dune too many times.

Is their diet a potential concern? The Tomato hornworm devours tomato plants, which are in the nightshade family and are poisonous to some stuff. I might be spreading fear for fears sake, but I'd be wary of using a hornworm that came from the wild. I'd imagine any source that breeds them for feeders wouldn't feed them a potentially toxic diet though, and I don't know why else you'd breed them. Except possibly to sabotage a competing tomato farmers crop. Or fishing bait I suppose. Or maybe to ride during your insurrection.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks of Dune.

Usually w/ captive/feeder populations they feed mulberry.

[Greg M]

Hornworms are supposed to be quite nutritious - low in fat, high in calcium, very digestible. Only captive-raised hornworms are appropriate as food for frogs, of course, since they normally consume poisonous plants like tomatoes. The artificial diet works well and results in hornworms that are perfectly safe. My woodhouse's toads and horned frogs generally love them. Hornworms do bite but this won't injure your frogs/toads - it just means that a few toads/frogs lose their enthusiasm for them. Both of my male Woodhouse's toads are lukewarm about hornworms but my females, who are more piggy, absolutely love them, and of course, the horned frogs don't care about the biting. Hornworms also seem to make looser stools than Dubia but I don't think this is a problem - it may actually be helpful for an occasionally backed-up horned frog... My large female Cranwell's eats half a dozen (or more) of the full grown larvae at a sitting, but it beats tong feeding her 18 nightcrawlers one-by-one...