Question about mice and frogs.

[jelkins]

Ceratophrys ornata consumes primarily vertebrates; stomach content analysis of thirty-four specimens from Uruguay included 78.5% anurans, 11.7% passerine birds, 7.7% rodents, and 0.3% snakes, leaving only 1.8% as "other" (Basso 1990).

[jelkins]

I believe that frogs make up the bulk of the diet for wild ABFs and horned frogs. One of the reasons they can grow so large due to 'perfect nutrition.'

[Greg M]

Thanks Justin for the info from the ornata paper! I had read those figures somewhere, but couldn't find the source when I was writing the post... I was quite surprised to read that birds constitute a notable fraction of the diet! The field studies certainly indicate that frogs are a/the major component of the ornata diet in the wild (and insects seemingly are not).

In any event, with my own large frogs, I do feed mostly night-crawlers and Dubia roaches, with only very occasional rodents (out of an abundance of caution). I do, however, keep an eye on overall consumption and body-weight. IMHO, the fact that frogs can apparently develop corneal opacities and other health issues often attributed to rodent consumption when fed (to excess) a diet consisting only of insects argues that excessive caloric intake is sufficient (and presumably necessary) to cause these issues.

[onedge30]

Wow. So many birds!!! You would think they would be faster than the rodents.

For my big ABF I will have to think about chicks over mice/rats. Cool.

[Chomp]

I personally feel that the frog should only a eat a mouse every couple months. The problem with most big frog owners is that they feed them a a mouse or two a every week or two.. That is just way too much and guarantees a fat frog.