Frogs don't care for "food on the forceps" - Alternative?

[never quit]

I've got a couple of small pacmans that for whatever reason, just don't want to accept food (crickets) when they're on the end of forceps and waved in front of them. The frogs are about 2 1/2" and have been in their cage of ground coconut fiber for about a month. The main reason I'd like to "forcep train" them is so they don't pickup so much of the substate. If I leave a few crickets in their cage, they eat them. I don't handle them all that often, but does anyone put their frogs in another container and feed them, then put the frog back in their cage?
Any suggestions are welcome. This seems to be such a simple issue I just might be over thinking the whole problem....

Thanks
Lloyd

[Sasha]

I don't know anything about pacman's but what if you do the glass bowl trick with the crickets? I have White's tree frogs and I put their crickets in a glass bowl and the frogs jump in to eat. This way I know how many crickets they eat and they don't swallow the coco-fiber.

[never quit]

I don't know anything about pacman's but what if you do the glass bowl trick with the crickets? I have White's tree frogs and I put their crickets in a glass bowl and the frogs jump in to eat. This way I know how many crickets they eat and they don't swallow the coco-fiber.

Thanks Patsy: I was looking on this site and found a thread where they talk about putting crickets in a glass bowl. I'll have to try something like that. I just wonder if they'll freak out being put in a glass bowl with a couple of crickets crawling...But, I'll find out.

Thanks
Lloyd

[Sasha]

My frogs LOVE being in the glass bowl with the crickets crawling around! It's like a party, doesn't freak them out one bit, I think they like the fact of being able to turn around and keep seeing food!. Sometimes the crickets will crawl on them but they usually kick it away or pull it into their mouth. If I notice there's been a cricket on them a little to long, I will just flick it off.

[never quit]

My frogs LOVE being in the glass bowl with the crickets crawling around! It's like a party, doesn't freak them out one bit, I think they like the fact of being able to turn around and keep seeing food!. Sometimes the crickets will crawl on them but they usually kick it away or pull it into their mouth. If I notice there's been a cricket on them a little to long, I will just flick it off.

Thanks Patsy: I'll try it out over the weekend and let you know.

Lloyd

[GrifTheGreat]

The way to train a Pacman to eat from tongs is simple, but depending on the particular frog's personality determines whether the frog will accept the food or not.

Visibly show the frog that there is food on the tongs, but do it at a distance of about 4" to 5" above the frog. Drop the food item from the tongs so that it lands about an inch to an inch and half away from the frog. Instinctualy the frog will strike at the food once it lands without thinking. Doing this over time will get the frog to realize tongs = food and the frog will eventually just take the food from the tongs.

You can also use the methods from Jim and Jessica Ivory of Ivory Reptiles. Tong Feeding 102 - YouTube

[never quit]

The way to train a Pacman to eat from tongs is simple, but depending on the particular frog's personality determines whether the frog will accept the food or not.

Visibly show the frog that there is food on the tongs, but do it at a distance of about 4" to 5" above the frog. Drop the food item from the tongs so that it lands about an inch to an inch and half away from the frog. Instinctualy the frog will strike at the food once it lands without thinking. Doing this over time will get the frog to realize tongs = food and the frog will eventually just take the food from the tongs.

You can also use the methods from Jim and Jessica Ivory of Ivory Reptiles. Tong Feeding 102 - YouTube

Thanks Grif: I'll give that a try......I'll have to wait until I get home to view that video.....the IT nazi at work blocks youtube stuff....I sometimes see this place as a DILBERT reality show!


Lloyd

[GrifTheGreat]

Thanks Grif: I'll give that a try......I'll have to wait until I get home to view that video.....the IT nazi at work blocks youtube stuff....I sometimes see this place as a DILBERT reality show!


Lloyd

Lol!! Gotcha.

[never quit]

Hi Patsy: Well, I put my small guy in a bowl with a couple of crickets and a piece of nightcrawler.....Nope, just sat there and ignored it. I used a colored plastic bowl thinking that if he can't see out, he'll feel somewhat secure and might focus on eating....well, that didn't work....I put him back in his container then cut up some small earthworms....I waved them in front of him, then dropped a couple of small pieces about an inch in front of him...He took the one small piece then the other.....so my conclusion is maybe I was just using too big of a food item....I'll continue with the smaller food items.
I have another slightly bigger pacman (2") and wants nothing to do with forceps and worms or crickets...When I offer him a defrosted pinky I just about have to touch his mouth and he inhales it. Whereas with nightcrawlers I have to tease and tease him until he finally grabs it, and I think it's more from anger than hunger. Anyway, not too concerned about him eating the mice. I think the one big issue is if the mice have hair, that's just not compatable with their disgestive system.

Thanks again for your suggestion
Lloyd

[never quit]

Hi Grif: I just added a post (replied to Patsy) so instead of repeating myself check that out.......I watched that video from Ivory Reptiles....VERY informative. In thinking about this, it seems I may have been using too big of a piece of food. But it didn't seem to be any bigger than what Ivory was using, but the bottom line is, whatever works....so I'll continue to use the small earthworms. Again, the only downside from all this is the frog inadvertentely picks up some coconut fiber......So getting him and the other couple of frogs to take the food from forceps would be ideal.

Thanks again for the link to the tong feeding
Lloyd

[GrifTheGreat]

Hi Grif: I just added a post (replied to Patsy) so instead of repeating myself check that out.......I watched that video from Ivory Reptiles....VERY informative. In thinking about this, it seems I may have been using too big of a piece of food. But it didn't seem to be any bigger than what Ivory was using, but the bottom line is, whatever works....so I'll continue to use the small earthworms. Again, the only downside from all this is the frog inadvertentely picks up some coconut fiber......So getting him and the other couple of frogs to take the food from forceps would be ideal.

Thanks again for the link to the tong feeding
Lloyd

You're welcome.

Don't worry too much about them eating a tiny bit of the substrate. It will just pass through when they have their next bowel movement. Its ok for the larger frog to take the food through anger or annoyance. This is also another way for them to learn to eat from tongs.

Good luck.

[Sasha]

Thanks for the update. It sounds like smaller food is the way to go. It's interesting to learn their food and eating preferences. A little bit of coco fiber isn't going to hurt them. I know with my whites, when they get a mouth full of substrate by accident they spit a majority of it out. Again, I don't know much about pacman's I don't know how good they are about wiping stuff off their faces like whites are.

You're pacman that eats the pinky's, have you tried feeding him something else besides crickets and worms? Maybe roaches? I've heard that pinky's aren't really nutritious, best to use as a treat.

[never quit]

Hi Patsy: And thanks for your comments. The only other thing I've tried with the pacman that eats pinks is the "just add water" food....He didn't care for that at all...But again, I may have had too big of a piece of food. You bring up a good point, I need to use something different. If I can get a small amount of roaches, that would be fine. I'll have to look around and see....And, I checked on the nutritional value, and you're right....the pinkies are not all that nutrious....
Here's a link to another frog forum (fat frog) and a nutritional comparison of vertebrates and invertebrates. http://fatfrogs.7.forumer.com/viewtopic.php?t=11804

Thanks again
Lloyd

[Sasha]

Those are some great charts you found there, thanks for sharing!

Just wanted to tell you, with all this talk about eating the coco-fiber one of my whites just took a huge mouthful of it! I don't really know why. She was waking up and climbing down from her ledge when all of the sudden she just lunged at the substrate right by her water bowl and got a huge mouthful! I know she swallowed it because I saw her. I had just put her food bowl and water bowl back into the tank and didn't see any loose crickets but I know there was a loose one the other night that crawled under one of the bowls. The only other thing I could think of is she saw a drop of water running down the bowl, they tend to lunge at anything that moves, LOL!

[never quit]

You're welcome!...Glad to know I could help.

Well, I hope your frog doesn't have any ill effects from the coco-fiber.....Keep us posted as to how she does. Hopefully it'll put our fears to rest, that it's just inert and will pass through the frog with no issues.