'wild caught' foods

[happypitbull]

So, White's do exist in the wild, and I am sure they wander around in the trees eating everything that moves and will fit in their mouths correct?

So.... since we do want to keep them healthy, and also provide a varied diet with some interesting things to 'hunt'.... what does one suggest to feed or not to feed a whites tree frog?

I know to avoid insects from areas that have been exposed to contaminants such as pesticides etc. But are there any insects I should avoid?

What about spiders? Will they bite or hurt the frogs? Will they eat slugs, or do they not like the taste of them? Moths? Earthworms? I have given them the occasional grasshopper and locally found black crickets, which they seemed to relish What about Sowbugs (aka pillbugs) ?

I have done some reading and I see that some people say do not feed too many superworms/mealworms as they are high in fat? And also to avoid the king mealworms too much, as high in chitin? But I know of a animal care facility at a university that feeds mealworms as their main source of food (and this facility has gotten awards for its excellent animal care), so.... ??

And some ppl have said not to feed grasshoppers as their exoskeleton may be too hard? But Im sure they would eat these in the wild correct?


Ok, those are my thoughts Now any advice on what to feed or not to feed my whites ?


Thanks !
Min

[SludgeMunkey]

Avoid wild caught crickets and grasshoppers. They are parasite vectors.
Wild cockroaches should also be avoided.
Beetle Larvae, like yard grubs, are fair game once the hard head has been crushed.
Earthworms and most moths (avoid brightly colored ones) are OK also.
Hairless caterpillars that are brown or green in color and do not feed on toxic plants are generally OK too, but do your research with these.

Woodlice, AKA pill bugs, rolypolies, sow-bugs, etc are all fair game.

Ants are also a poor choice, although ant larvae have their uses if you are brave enough to collect them.

Out of the not so wild foods:

Waxworms are also open house, however watch for digestibility issues with some species, same goes for Phoenix worms.

Mealworms AKA Superworms were once the staple workhorse of the herptile pet trade but have been falling out of favor in recent years due to both fat content, injury risk, and digestibility issues.

farm raised crickets, cockroaches and fruit flies are all fair game.




While written with newts and salamanders in mind, this page has validity for frog keeping also.

[John]

Superb response Johnny.

The only exception I would put in there is if you have collected a local amphibian and are feeding it with locally collected wild caught food. For example, I've been feeding wild caught crickets to my wild caught Texas toads (I collected the toads on Wednesday night) - after summer is over and the crickets are hard to find I intend to treat the toads for parasites but in the mean time in this case there's unlikely to be any harm done since the toads almost certainly already have all the parasites they're likely to get.

[SludgeMunkey]

Agreed John! I too feed wild caught bugs to my wild caught captives. I should have been more clear about that.

Once their quarantine period is halfway through (I do 90 days out here), treatment starts and wild caught foods are replaced with farm raised.

I need some real rain here and warm temperatures to get some permanent toads.

[happypitbull]

So.... my local insects, in Nova Scotia, can carry parasites that can infect my Tropical Whites Frogs? What kind of parasites are we talking about here? Internal, external ?

And what about spiders and slugs? Any info. on feeding those? I know slugs taste yucky to most animals, but I do know that local toads eat them. Just wondering if my frogs may enjoy them as well?


Thanks for all the info thus far, great forum !!


Min

[SludgeMunkey]

So.... my local insects, in Nova Scotia, can carry parasites that can infect my Tropical Whites Frogs? What kind of parasites are we talking about here? Internal, external ?

And what about spiders and slugs? Any info. on feeding those? I know slugs taste yucky to most animals, but I do know that local toads eat them. Just wondering if my frogs may enjoy them as well?


Thanks for all the info thus far, great forum !!


Min

That is correct! Specifically worms of Nematamorpha sp. and Paragordius sp. specifically target crickets and can infect reptiles, amphibians and humans.


As for spiders, they are an option, however, I personally do not use them as feeders strictly on the bite risk factor both to myself and the pets.

Slugs are suitable feeders, as are terrestrial snails, but only in some areas. Mollusks in certain parts of the world do carry parasites (and their "eggs") that can harm your pets. I would suggest researching these in depth as I am unfamiliar with the fauna and flora on Nova Scotia.

[TehStewy]

I have been feeding my frog wild caught crickets from very near where I found him, should I be worried about parasites? and how do I know/get rid of them?

[Kurt]

Fendendazole and metronidazole for worms and protozoa respectively.

[Ra]

When I go out hunting for redworms, nightcrawlers, grubs and sow bugs, I often come across a plethora of slugs especially on rainy days.
At first I had fed a couple of these to my critters, but then I heard about Nematodes. What are the dangers of Nematodes to my Frogs and Salamanders and is there any way I can tell if the slugs are carrying Nematodes?
Also, can slugs be cultured?

[UncleChester]

I'm reviving this old thread as it has some very useful info above regarding wild caught feeders and I have a question to add to it.

What about house flies? I have hundreds available as I live in an old farmhouse. Are they ok for a non-local frog? (assuming from a pesticide/chemical free collection area, i.e. my bathroom window)

[Zach]

I'm reviving this old thread as it has some very useful info above regarding wild caught feeders and I have a question to add to it.

What about house flies? I have hundreds available as I live in an old farmhouse. Are they ok for a non-local frog? (assuming from a pesticide/chemical free collection area, i.e. my bathroom window)

I would think flies are ok. And for what its worth I feed wild insects to all my frogs and have never had problems.