Need Toadlet advice!!??

[Namio]

Unless you have a toad that is known to specialize on feeding ants, I would skip offering it ants. Usually it takes specialized digestive system to break down the nasty formic acid that ants produce. When in doubt, just don't offer ants.

[UncleChester]

Unless you have a toad that is known to specialize on feeding ants, I would skip offering it ants. Usually it takes specialized digestive system to break down the nasty formic acid that ants produce. When in doubt, just don't offer ants.

Interesting. American Toads, the likely candidate here given the location, will mow down ants they find in the wild. I wonder if they have what it takes.

[kueluck]

I also wonder if it depends on the type of ant. I know I tried to feed tiny red ants to toadlets and one of the ants got hold of the toadlet by the eye. It took a steady hand, 2 pairs of reading glasses, a magnifying glass, bright light & a whole lot of prayer to get the ant off. Never again will I offer ants. And the eye was fine, no damage.

[UncleChester]

I'm rubbish at ant identification, but I've had a bunch of red coloured ants end up in my boots when I was whipper snipping. They enjoyed biting. I now flee from red coloured ants. I would never inflict a bite-happy ant on a toadlet, but I have handed out medals of valour to toads I've found eating these ants in the wild. Black coloured ants seem better behaved.

[TrymNois]

Thank you. I try to feed it the black ants but they are too big for Coco. I was going to feed some small reddish orange ants but i won't now. Also why do the fruit flies have to be flightless? Couldn't just leave the lid open and let some flies go in?

[GrifTheGreat]

Thank you. I try to feed it the black ants but they are too big for Coco. I was going to feed some small reddish orange ants but i won't now. Also why do the fruit flies have to be flightless? Couldn't just leave the lid open and let some flies go in?

Flightless fruitflies are much easier to catch since they cannot fly away. They can only hop and climb so your toadlet can run them down for a snack.

Offering ants is tricky since large black carpenter ants are quite large and have a powerful bite and they are about the size of your toadlet so of course they are a big NO. The tiny black ants sometimes called grease ants can be offered and like all ants bite, but stay away from any bright red ant or the reddish orange kind. I believe they sting and bite. Bright red are fire ants normally, but I'm not sure they are that far north.

I am no expert by far on ants. This is just some experience I've got from messing with ants as a child. Ouch!

Send Jeffreh a PM or post you ant concerns in the feeder section of the forum and he should chime right in.

[BugBoy99]

I would be careful with ants, and spiders. A spider can give a nasty bite to a small toad. And, ants are such great climbers that they're more likely to end up on your frog than in it.