How many crickets, how often?

[Smurphette]

Hi,

I have two large American Bullfrogs living in my window well. They are at least 5 years old now. There are two drain holes they like to go down (not sure if they are actually drains, or just leftover builder material) and I've put some sticks and things in there for them to climb and hide under. Well, branches at the size they are now lol. I also put a small litter box of water in there for them, and they love that. I'm afraid they don't get enough food in there though, so I have been giving them crickets.

I had been giving them about 75 large crickets once a week, but they seem so hungry when I drop them in, I am not sure that is enough. They are approximately 5 and 6 inches from nose to butt. This is the smaller one, that's the end of a brick it's next to. Sorry for the blurry photo, I had to run the sprinkler to get them to come out of the drain, so the window is wet now.

[LilyPad]

They can get out of the window well?

[Smurphette]

No, they can't get out. It's about 5' deep. And I can't catch them either, or they would have been out a long time ago. My guess is that they washed in there during a storm when they were very small.

[Smurphette]

Here's a couple more pictures of one of them. The log where he's sitting is about as wide as a person's knee. You can also get an idea of size from the edge of the ladder in one photo. He doesn't really look that fat, part of that is the way he's sitting.

[Bombina Bob]

Bullfrogs are opportunistic feeders so its instinct for them to snach up any food item that crosses their path, usually you should feed your frogs all they can eat in 5 minutes. What are the measurements of the well in width and length?

[Smurphette]

Opportunistic feeders. That might explain things. So for frogs of this size, should I be giving them 30 twice a week? Or is that too much? Feeding them once a week seems to leave them pretty skinny at the end of the week.

I hurt my back and can't get down to the basement today, but I would guess the window well to be bigger than 3'x3' but not bigger than 4'x4'. After spending most of their lives in there (they were about 2" nose to butt when they appeared there) I think they would be traumatized to be taken out. Plus, they get regular food and a tub of water and places to hide regularly where they are now lol. The little one I caught last week (in the yard, didn't want to mow him over) and put in the garden on the other side of the house doesn't have such assurances. The drain (or something) holes are deep enough that they have been hibernating down them in the winter the last several years.