What do you feed wild baby frogs

There are only five varieties of frogs in the reservoirs of Ukraine: grass frog ( lat. Rana temporaria ), moor ( lat. Rana arvalis ), quick ( lat. Rana dalmatina ), pond ( lat. Rana lessonae ) and lake ( lat. Rana ridibunda ). The first three species have a brown and brown body color, and the last two species are combined by scientists into a group of "green frogs", which, when crossed, give the very famous edible species. nine0013

For the first time a large green frog as a separate species was described by Carl Linnaeus back in 1758. It was he who gave her a name (lat. Rana esculenta), which translates as "edible frog." This hybrid species is widely represented in the reservoirs of Transcarpathia and lives in the Danube Delta.

During the Soviet Union, these amphibians were massively exported to France, because their value in foreign currency was three times (!) Higher than the price of expensive fish species. Every year, up to eighty tons of this first-class product were exported from the country. nine0013

At present, due to the spread of diseases and massive epidemics of birds, pigs and cattle, the demand for frog meat has increased dramatically. True, in Ukraine it still remains quite low, since the use of a frog by many residents of the country seems unusual and unnatural, therefore, today, the most promising direction is the cultivation of amphibians for export.

Description of the edible frog nine0013

When creating optimal conditions for growth and development, individual specimens of frogs can gain weight up to one and a half (!) Kilograms, but on average their weight does not exceed one kilogram.

An amphibian reaches sexual maturity at the age of three years and one female is able to lay up to fifteen thousand eggs during the year.

Frog rearing

Growing an edible species of frogs for commercial purposes is simple and technologically similar to breeding ordinary pond fish (the fattening period to obtain a marketable species is from twelve to twenty months). nine0013

To start, you need frog caviar, which can be collected in a pond during spawning, and in three or four years, the amphibian population will increase tenfold.

It is desirable to grow caviar in a closed pond with clean running water, since open ponds significantly increase the mortality rate of the population. The incubation room should be warm (it is necessary to maintain the temperature at least twelve degrees Celsius), bright and clean. It is advisable to change the water once every three or four days, while first passing it through the filter (or letting it settle), since highly chlorinated water can kill the entire population of frogs. nine0013

Consideration must also be given to the ground. An ideal basis for an incubation pond is a mixture of earth, peat, crushed sphagnum (peat bog moss), expanded clay or charcoal (in a ratio of 3:1:1:1). Such soil will not turn sour, and harm the skin of tadpoles and young frogs.

After mass hatching of tadpoles (which grow for about
four months old), they are intensively fattened until they turn into young frogs, and then they are moved to an open pond. nine0013

It is desirable to leave the largest and healthiest frogs for subsequent breeding, thus forming a strong breeding stock of frogs.

Diet

The diet of frogs (at all stages of development) is quite varied. The food is based on small invertebrates (bloodworms, worms, caterpillars), crustaceans and insects (mosquitoes, flies, beetles). All swimming, jumping, crawling and flying small animals that a frog can swallow at one time are used. nine0013

To prevent rickets, young frogs need to be supplemented with vitamins.

Upon reaching marketable weight, the frog is slaughtered with a mallet, the skin is removed, the legs are separated, packaged and frozen. This is how they are implemented.

Frog legs in Europe range from four to six dollars, while live amphibians range from one to four dollars per kilogram (equivalent to about sixty adults). nine0013

Breeders need to remember that catching an adult frog is not easy, because it can overcome a distance of three (!) Meters from one jump, and at the same time it can knock down even an adult person. This "animal" is able to swallow a mouse, small snake or duckling.

However, the same French prefer to eat frogs of a much more modest size (weighing about one hundred grams).

Delicious frog legs are easy to make. To begin with, they are kept in cold water with lemon juice (like asparagus), and then fried in vegetable oil in breadcrumbs or batter. The dish turns out to be crispy, fragrant, tender, and small bones are not a hindrance for enjoyment. nine0013

While working in the garden, you can often stumble upon frogs unexpectedly jumping out of the green grass or important and clumsy toads barely crawling out. Many of these animals are disgusted. Meanwhile, it should be remembered that there are benefits from frogs. They are tireless hunters for all sorts of small pests, bringing invaluable benefits.

The information in the article will allow you to get acquainted with the life of these animals, perhaps many will even feel some sympathy for these interesting creatures. nine0013

Before we know what the frog eats, let's provide a description of it.

General information about toads and frogs: differences

Toads and frogs are tailless amphibians living in water and on land. Even when leaving the water, these animals are very dependent on it. In addition to pulmonary, they also have active skin respiration, which allows amphibians to stay under water for a longer time. But dry air and prolonged exposure to the sun's rays have a detrimental effect on them. nine0013

What does a frog eat? You can find out more about this in the article below.

Frogs and toads are closely related. Their difference lies in the fact that the skin of frogs is smoother, long strong hind legs have well-developed membranes between the fingers. All this helps the frogs to jump well and swim quickly. And the toad has dry skin covered with "warts", their paws are weak and short, allowing them to move only waddling or in short jumps. The membranes between the fingers are not developed, and therefore they swim poorly, and spend less time in the water (in fact, only during the breeding season). nine0013

It is difficult to determine what the frog eats by its structure and appearance, but it can be assumed. She has a flat back and head, and her eyes often protrude above the water surface like liquid bubbles, without betraying the animal itself. The hind legs are strong, like a spring, and the front paws, arranged like palms, are grasping. The jaws of the frog are studded with sharp, small, inward-facing teeth. A sticky tongue is located in a wide mouth. Comparing all of the above external signs, we can assume what the frog eats - mostly small aquatic inhabitants. nine0013

Distribution

This family (true frogs) belongs to the order Anurans. The composition of the latter is numerous, it includes 32 genera and about 400 species. Most of them are inhabitants of the jungle (wet tropics).

The largest of the tailless amphibians is the goliath frog (3 kilograms), which lives on the coast of the Republic of Cameroon in Africa. Most recently, the smallest frog was discovered in New Guinea - the size of a little finger nail.

In central Russia, mainly varieties of the common and common toad live. They are widely distributed in Russia to Sakhalin, as well as throughout Europe and Africa (northwest). nine0013

Most of these amphibians have a modest inconspicuous coloration, but some of the outfit can be quite bright, especially for poisonous species that live mostly in the tropics.

Types of frogs and toads

Before we find out what frogs eat in a pond, as well as in other natural and domestic conditions, let's consider the most common varieties of these amphibians. Their life (toads and frogs) is closely connected with water, however, there are species that, in their adult state, mainly live and hunt only on land. nine0013

4 species of frogs live in central Russia: lacustrine, pond, herbaceous, moor. The first two species are green in color, the second are closer to brown.

Among the inhabitants of the gardens of Russia, moor and grass are more common. The first has a protective coloration that allows it to be invisible on the ground, but it is much smaller in size than grass. The second has a gray-brown or brown back with spots of different colors, and the belly is mostly light with dark spots. nine0013

In addition to the common frog, the Siberian frog also lives in Siberia. Its distinctive feature is pink spots on a brown abdomen.

Among toads, the most common are 2 types:

• common, or gray, with a dark brown back;
• green with large green spots on a light gray back.

Feeding characteristics

All types of frogs are tireless in obtaining food. What does a frog eat? It is known that the grass frog eats about 1300 insects - pests of gardens and orchards during the entire summer period. And the moored one exterminates many pests, including stinky bugs and beetles, which even birds shun. nine0013

As a rule, frogs forage during the day, and toads destroy pests mostly at night and at dusk.

What does a frog eat and how does it do it? They, like toads, are insectivorous animals. Frogs have teeth only on the upper jaw, and toads do not have them at all, so they have nothing to bite off pieces of food with. In connection with these features, food is swallowed whole by frogs and toads. They catch their prey with the help of their original tongue - long, strong and forked at the end. It is thrown out of the mouth with lightning speed in the direction of the victim, and then, due to the fact that it is sticky, it returns back with the prey already stuck. nine0013

Another curious fact is that food enters the esophagus through the eyes. When blinking, the eyes sink deeper, pushing food into the esophagus.

Toads have an excellent appetite. The main food for them are invertebrates: worms, insects, bugs, spiders, caterpillars, molluscs, and so on. More than half (60%) of all insects eaten by toads are agricultural pests. Also, these animals feed on slugs. Many gardeners observe unpleasant slugs on strawberries, which usually hide in the damp ground during the day, and come out to eat soft juicy fruits of sweet ripe strawberries in the evening. It is very difficult to fight them. Just in this toads are great helpers. nine0013

Adult frog is a carnivore. The frog feeds on mosquitoes and other types of insects. For the lake, tasty prey are fish fry. As a result, fish farms suffer considerable damage. Hiding in shallow water, the frog waits for a flock of fry, and after waiting for them, it sharply opens its mouth, where a bunch of fish are involved in the flow of water. Tadpoles may also be in the mouth with fry.

In the stomachs of frogs, plant remains are also often present, because part of the leaves and flowers on which their prey sat on sticks to their tongue. All this is quickly swallowed by the frog, after which it again goes for new food. nine0013

The larval stage is very similar in different frog species.

Tadpoles hatched from eggs do not have a mouth opening. The embryonic supply of nutrients ends after about seven days, when their length reaches 1.5 cm. During this period, the mouth breaks through and self-feeding begins.

The main food of tadpoles is unicellular algae. Random impurities that are absorbed by the frog's body along with the main food are mold fungi, protozoa, and other microorganisms. nine0013

The mouthparts of the tadpole are well suited for scraping off algae and are like a “beak” surrounded by fringed lips. The lower one has rough outgrowths and is larger than the upper one. Tadpoles feed during the day, being in heated water on the shallows and near the coast, forming mass accumulations (up to 10,000 pieces). Not everyone survives from them, since frog larvae serve as food for birds, fish and many other inhabitants of the reservoir.

Tadpoles turn into frogs of the year. They are pretty greedy. In the filled state, the volume of their stomach exceeds 1/5 of the total mass. nine0013

One more curious detail - with insufficient amount of animal food in the reservoir, the tadpole hibernates in the larval stage, postponing the transformation into a predator until spring.

Aquarium frogs

Especially popular among aquarists is the clawed frog, whose skin secretions have the effect of a natural antiseptic that disinfects water well. Such a frog is usually planted in an aquarium with fish that have some kind of infection. However, there must be a mesh partition between them, since the frog can eat its “patients”. nine0013

Usually, amphibians living in an aquarium feed on live food: earthworms, daphnia, bloodworms, etc. Due to the fact that in captivity frogs move little, they tend to become obese. They should be fed no more than 2 times a week. They may also eat thinly sliced ​​lean meats or fish.

What do frog tadpoles eat at home? In the very first days, milk powder is suitable for them (baby formula is also good). In the second week, mixtures of insects and herbs can be introduced into the diet after a good steaming in the oven or in the sun to avoid various putrefactive processes. nine0013

Beef liver and small bloodworm are introduced in the last days of metamorphosis to strengthen the body of small frogs, but all this should be crushed to the smallest sizes.

Conclusion

Creating the animal world, nature has shown incredible ingenuity. Amphibians can be attributed to the number of amazing miracles.

They emerged from the World Ocean millions of years ago, but their connection with the water element was not interrupted. And they begin their life in the water.

Frogs, leading an aquatic lifestyle, have long taken a strong place in amateur aquariums. And the touching little frogs, which are now sold in almost every pet store, cause an irresistible desire among people who are inexperienced in aquaristics to buy, as they say, "there are those two white ones and this gray one." But no matter how cute they are, let's first figure out what kind of frogs they are, what conditions they need and with whom they can live in the same aquarium.

Two types of frogs are currently kept in aquariums: the smooth clawed frog - xenopus (Xenopus laevis), which has been bred in captivity for many years, and the dwarf frog - hymenochirus (Hymenochirus boettgeri), which has become popular not so long ago. Adult frogs of these species vary greatly in size, appearance, behavior, and content. Frogs in pet stores are often kept in the same aquarium and when selling, they do not always focus on their species. nine0013

Clawed frog.

So, if aquarium frogs are white or pinkish, with red eyes, then regardless of size, they are clawed. The albino clawed frog was artificially bred at the Moscow Institute of Developmental Biology for laboratory experiments.

If a small frog is grayish, brownish or olive in color with dark spots, then to determine the species, you should pay attention to the length and thickness of its limbs, the presence of webbing between the fingers of the front paws and the pointedness of the muzzle. Wild-colored clawed frogs are more dense, they have thicker legs with bandages, like babies, a rounded muzzle, and there are no webbing on the fingers. nine0013

Hymenochirus, on the other hand, has membranes, long and slender legs, and a pointed muzzle. The size of an adult hymenochirus, as a rule, does not exceed 4 cm, while the clawed frog grows up to 10–12 cm.

These frogs also behave in different ways. They are active, strong and completely shameless. But they are clearly visible, they have large expressive faces and they have a habit of stretching out beautifully to hang in the thickness of the aquarium water. nine0013

Hymenochiruses are calmer, quieter, slower and more delicate. They slowly crawl along the bottom, climbing on underwater objects and periodically freezing for a long time. As one amateur aptly put it, pygmy frogs resemble "meditating scuba divers." They almost do not damage plants, do not disturb fish (they simply do not have such an opportunity due to the size of their body and mouth), pollute the aquarium a little.

In a large aquarium, they are almost invisible, because they constantly hide on the bottom or in thickets of plants, and if active fish live nearby, then hymenochiruses may not keep up with food. nine0003

Aquarium frogs: maintenance and care

Both species are not too demanding on the conditions of detention. For clawed frogs, an aquarium of 20-30 liters per couple is enough, while it needs to be filled with water by half or a third. The aquarium should be closed with a lid or net. The soil is a large pebble. The aquarium is equipped with a compressor or a small internal filter, you can use a waterfall filter, but there should not be a strong current. There is no need for bright lighting.

The water temperature is about 22-25°C, xenopuses are practically indifferent to the chemical parameters of water. The exception is the content of chlorine and fluorine in the water, so it is recommended to defend it before adding it to the aquarium for at least 2-3 days. They change the water once or twice a week for 20-25%, a number of authors recommend changing less often, as it becomes cloudy.

Only hard-leaved plants may be planted, always in pots, otherwise they will be dug up immediately. Some lovers of these animals act as follows: they put a pot with a houseplant with hanging shoots next to the aquarium, and place these shoots in the aquarium. In this case, the aquarium becomes green, and the roots of the plant remain intact. nine0013

For hymenochiruses, the volume of the aquarium can be even smaller, 1-2 liters of water for such a frog is enough.

A lid is required - hymenochiruses, especially wild-caught ones, often try to escape.

They require a minimum water temperature of 24°C. A filter or compressor is desirable, but it should not be too powerful to leave areas of still, stagnant water in the aquarium.

At the bottom, it is necessary to equip small shelters under which these quivering creatures can hide. Plants are very desirable, it is good if they form dense thickets in places. It is also better to plant them in pots. It is necessary to equip the aquarium with lighting, since hymenochiruses sometimes like to rise among the thickets to the surface and bask under the lamp, sticking their head and upper body out of the water. nine0003

Feeding

Decorative aquarium frogs - both xenopuses and hymenochiruses - are preferred.

For claws, these can be mealworms, earthworms, crickets, bloodworms, fry and tadpoles. You can give pieces of liver, meat, fish, shrimp with tweezers.

Clawed frogs should not be fed tubifex, pork, fatty beef.

Hymenochirus are fed small bloodworms, live daphnia or fish. Dry and immobile frog food is usually ignored. Food for adult xenopus and hymenochirus should be given twice a week. nine0013

Feeding behavior of representatives of these two species of frogs also differs. Spurs have an excellent sense of smell, in addition, they have a very developed sense of touch (the receptors are pits located on the sides of the frog and resemble the lateral line of fish). Therefore, frogs are good at detecting smells and the slightest movements of water, quickly find food and greedily pounce on it.

Hymenochirus, on the other hand, usually need to bring food directly to the nose. You can teach them to feed in a certain place or according to a certain signal (for example, tapping with tweezers), but they will take a long time to get to the food, as if thinking along the way whether it is worth doing this at all. nine0013

Xenopus are extremely voracious and therefore prone to obesity, therefore, the amount of food they eat must be strictly controlled - a healthy frog must remain flat.

As for the clawed frog, knowing the peculiarities of its behavior, one can answer unequivocally - it has nothing to do in an aquarium with fish.

She will swallow everything that fits in her mouth, wipe out most of the plants, dig up the soil, raising the dregs, and move carefully placed scenery. nine0013

In addition, she does not like fresh water with a good current, and most fish will not like the swamp she is used to.

The only advantage of living together between fish and clawed frogs is that the frogs' skin mucus contains antimicrobial substances that can have a curative effect on sick fish. But at the current level of development of aquarium pharmacology, this can hardly be considered a serious argument. If you really want to do without chemistry, it is much easier to place a sick fish in a small container, where the frog had been for some time before. nine0013

Some aquarists advise keeping xenopus with Xenopus as they do well in old water and breathe atmospheric air. But why do it? A separate small aquarium with frogs will take up very little space, and everyone will be fine as a result.

Things are not so scary with hymenochiruses. It is believed that they get along well with calm, not too large, non-predatory fish. They will not violate the beauty of the aquarium either. However, in a large aquarium, hymenochiruses spend a lot of time in shelters, so it is almost impossible to observe them, and it can be quite difficult to control the process of feeding them. nine0003

Diseases of frogs

Aquarium frogs may experience the following health problems:

In the treatment of frogs, preparations for tropical aquarium fish are usually used, choosing them according to the causative agent of the disease (anthelmintic, antifungal or antibacterial). Sick frogs are isolated. With dropsy, a puncture of the skin is often effective.

It should be known that individuals usually fall ill if they live in unsuitable conditions for them, are prone to obesity or experience prolonged severe stress. nine0013

And finally, some interesting facts about clawed frogs:

• the clawed frog was the first vertebrate to be cloned;
• at the beginning of the 20th century, clawed frogs were used to diagnose short-term pregnancy: if a frog is injected with the urine of a pregnant woman, it starts spawning under the influence of chorionic gonadotropin;
• The clawed frog does not have a tongue, therefore, when eating prey, it helps itself with its front paws, and it cannot bend its fingers, it keeps them stretched out, as if eating with Chinese chopsticks; nine0196
• When clawed frogs accidentally entered the waters of the tropical United States, they destroyed native species of frogs there, therefore keeping clawed frogs is prohibited in some states, while in others it is limited.

Fortunately, keeping frogs is allowed in our country, so everyone can get these undemanding funny animals at home, watch and care for them, getting a lot of positive emotions and acquiring the skills of keeping an aquarium. The latter will definitely come in handy in the future, because usually everything is just beginning with frogs. nine0013

Interview with a specialist: how to keep and feed freshwater aquarium frogs:

Fried cheesecakes with herbs, cheese and garlic

Fried cheesecakes with herbs, cheese and garlic

Eww! Do frogs eat it? What do amphibians eat? we make a container for insects, temperature conditions for keeping crickets, feeding crickets, how long do crickets live? how many crickets to feed frogs? photo feeding frogs toads amphibians tree frogs in captivity

For many amphibian lovers, their food causes not very pleasant feelings. Usually you can handle slippery amphibians, but many people don't like insects. In this article, we give some tips for those who would rather take an extra trip to the pet store than grow crickets in their garage or apartment.

Red-eyed Litoria (Litoria chloris)

Making a Handy Insect Container

handle insects. Sometimes such containers are sold in pet stores, but it is quite simple to make them yourself. nine0013

For frogs that feed on small crickets, a small to medium sized container is suitable for keeping crickets. If you need large insects using the same technology, make a larger container.

Related article Worms are ideal food for tailed amphibians

Take a large yogurt cup (preferably with a bottom diameter of 6 centimeters). You can try using a plastic container, but it most likely contains some kind of chemicals, as crickets often die quickly in it. So it is better to take a container made specifically for food. nine0013

Poke a few holes in the sides of the cup. You can use a pushpin for this. The holes should be large enough to allow air to pass through, but not so wide that crickets can gnaw through them and climb out. These containers can be changed every few months. Cut a hole in the lid of the cup large enough for a few crickets to crawl through. It is better if it is located closer to the wall of the glass. Then you can easily shake out a few crickets for breakfast for your pets. nine0013

Make a plug for this hole. Cut it out of a piece of rubber. It should fit snugly into the hole, so that even the strongest cricket could not push it out. If you are lucky enough to buy a container with a hole in the lid, you can find another whole lid to put on top. Then all you have to do is take it off and feed the frogs through the hole.

Singing cricket

And finally, one more addition - useful, but not necessary. Cut off the edge of the sponge, rinse it well so that no chemical particles remain (even a new sponge may contain chemicals). Blot the sponge well several times and wring it out. Then take a needle and thread and sew the sponge vertically inside the cup on one side, passing the thread through the holes you made earlier. Now when you shake out dinner for your frogs, the sponge will not hang around the glass, injuring insects and blocking the hole. In addition, there are many holes under it, and to wet it, you just need to put the side of the cup under a stream of water from the tap without the risk of your crickets scatter. nine0013

You will need to clean the container every time you want to buy more crickets. Right before going to the pet store, feed the leftover crickets to the frogs and then rinse him under very hot water. Crickets smell, and it will be very unpleasant if the glass is left dirty. If there are a few dead insects left in the container, shake them out, along with the remaining live ones, outside.

Temperature regime for keeping crickets

Crickets are recommended to be kept at a temperature of 25-30°C. But crickets smell bad, so not everyone wants them to live long in an apartment. If the house is not too hot and not too cold, then room temperature is fine for crickets. It is not recommended to keep them in the yard or in the garage if it gets cool or, conversely, too hot - above 30°C. nine0013

Feeding crickets before they become frog food

If you don't keep crickets for more than a week, you don't need to worry about feeding them. They need moisture - a sponge provides it. You can give them nutrients to keep your frogs healthy. In the pet store you can buy (although not in all) cricket food enriched with calcium, which literally stuffs insects with this useful substance. This is very, very good for the health of your charges. If you're willing to spend a couple of hundred a week on insects, then buy pellets fortified with calcium. Simply toss a few pellets into the cricket container and close it. Feed this to your crickets the day before you feed them to the frogs. Alternatively, you can give the crickets pieces of carrots and potatoes. nine0013

Litoria caerulea

If you are feeding your crickets a diet that does not contain calcium, dust them with calcium powder before giving them to the frogs. You need to sprinkle lightly, and not roll completely in calcium, like fish before frying.

How long do crickets live?

If you grow them yourself, they will probably last a long time. And for someone it's easier to go once a week and buy crickets for their two frogs. If you keep them in the heat or overfeed calcium, they can die quickly and you end up with a foul-smelling bunch of dead crickets. nine0013

Related article Vermicultivation: Raising Worms at Home

Breeding Crickets at Home

If there is no suitable pet store near you, you will have to raise your own crickets. Here you can find useful information on this subject.

How many crickets to feed the frogs?

This is one of the most frequently asked questions. The easiest way to determine this is by experience. Start with three crickets per frog per feeding and see if they fill up or stay hungry. Remember that all frogs behave differently, even within the same species. Some will gorge themselves on something tasty regardless of their needs, while others will only eat when they are very hungry. nine0013

Overfeeding is bad for frogs, although some simply ignore the extra food unless they are hungry. To determine how much food your frog needs, you must first understand its character.

You can feed frogs mealworms, moth caterpillars or grasshoppers, but they prefer crickets.

Cricket (Gryllidae)

Frogs smaller than 1 cm
If frogs are too small to swallow even the smallest cricket, they can be fed bloodworms. It is best to offer it live in a lid with a little water. Also popular food for frogs are wingless fruit flies (Drosophila). nine0013

Frogs, 1 to 3 cm
Give small two to three week old crickets daily. Their size should not exceed the width of the frog's head. The use of a calcium or vitamin supplement is recommended. Frogs really need these supplements to grow up healthy.

Related article What and how to feed amphibians?

Frogs 3 to 7 cm
Give every 2-3 days three to four weeks old crickets. You can sprinkle them with additives less often - 1-2 times a week. You can offer frogs newborn mice (if the frogs agree to eat them).

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