I was out backpacking getting ready to setup camp for the night, when I found a toad with an ant latched on the toad's hindleg biting. At first I thought, if the toad is being bothered, the toad will get rid of the ant. I caught the same toad again and decided to remove the ant. That ant was difficult to remove, I ended up killing the ant for removal. The entire time the toad is wiggling and kicking( I wish I could explain to those critters that I like them and mean no harm). Has anyone ever heard of ants attacking toads?. I was wondering if the toad was in an ant nest eating ants and some of the ants came out to defend their nest?.
I know crickets can potentially attack frogs when left uneaten in cages. I don't see why an ant would be any different, unfortunately. If they can get on the toad, it would be nothing more than a food source. Depending on where it was located the toad may not have been able to shed the ant. Maybe it had just given up on ridding itself of the ant. Good thing you came along!
There are ants that are capable of killing a frog if it gets close to their nest or is perceived as a threat. As far as I know, only specialized frogs will favor eating termites and ants. The rest will ignore them for tastier prey, since formic acid probably tastes no better than it smells .
Remember to take care of the enclosure and it will take care of your frog !
I've done an ant-dectomy twice. One was on the inner thigh, the other was one the eye lid. Both ants were removed by squeezing the head with tweezers, then carefully using the tweezers and magnifying glass to remove the pincher parts. Both toads were fine after this.
Rest in peace Rosie 5-31-12
Rest in peace Rufus 2-7-14
Rest in peace Morph 8-14-15
Ants can be some nasty little critters. Poor toad. It's a good thing you came along.
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