Tree frogs are such cool animals! They’re small and cute. They can be so colorful. And they don’t take up much space.
But as with most exotic pets, most people don’t know a lot about tree frogs. Where do tree frogs live? What do tree frogs eat?
In this article, we’re taking a look at the tree frog diet. Get ready to learn about tree frog care!
What do Tree Frogs Eat?
Tree frogs are carnivorous. Some species eat more bugs and grubs, while others may also eat animals like lizards, fish, and even other frogs.
Tree frogs aren’t picky eaters. This is probably because of their approach to hunting in the wild. Tree frogs don’t stalk their prey. Instead, they wait for insects and small animals to walk by, then snap! Out shoots their tongue.
While tree frogs have small teeth, they can’t chew their food. Their teeth are used to hold prey in place. So anything they eat must be swallowed whole.
Additionally, tree frogs use motion to detect their prey. Therefore, tree frogs must be fed live insects.
Creating Your Tree Frog Diet
All tree frogs eat insects as the bulk of their diet. But the answer to the question “what do tree frogs eat” may differ slightly by species.
What do Green Tree Frogs Eat?
There are two frogs commonly called “green tree frog”. One is the American Green Tree Frog and the other is the Australian Green Tree Frog. Both have similar diets.
Green tree frogs will eat pretty much anything that fits in their mouth. This includes crickets, flies, spiders, mosquitoes, cockroaches, worms, slugs, and more. Australian Green Tree Frogs may also eat lizards, smaller frogs, and even mice!
What do Red Eyed Tree Frogs Eat?
Red Eyed Tree Frogs are one of the more exotic looking tree frogs with their red eyes and multicolored bodies.
Like other tree frogs, red eyed tree frogs eat insects. In the wild, red eyed tree frogs eat mostly crickets, grasshoppers, moths, and flies. However, they will also eat other insects given the chance.
What do White’s Tree Frogs Eat?
White’s tree frogs are native to Australia and New Guinea. In the wild, they eat insects such as roaches, grasshoppers, moths, and spiders. They have also been known to eat other small animals like snakes and rodents.
As pets, White’s tree frogs should be fed a variety of staple insects. These can include grasshoppers, roaches, crickets, and silkworms.
Reptile Guide has an in-depth article on what to feed (and not to feed) White’s tree frogs. If you’re looking for diet guidelines on this species of tree frog, we suggest taking a look.
Supplements and Other Tree Frog Care
Tree frogs may be insectivores, but there’s more to a healthy tree frog diet. Let’s discuss supplements, gut loading, and what not to feed your pet tree frog.
Supplements
Like most captive insectivores, pet tree frogs need supplements to their diet. Best practice is to dust their bugs with calcium and multivitamin powder a couple times a week.
Why do tree frogs need supplements? It comes back to “what do tree frogs eat?” In the wild, tree frogs may eat dozens – or even hundreds – of different bugs each day. Pet tree frog owners do their best to provide variety. But it’s just not practical to source so many different types of prey. Giving supplements to your tree frog is the easiest way to make sure they’re getting the nutrients they need.
Gut Loading
Gut loading is another way to provide variety to your tree frog’s diet. Gut loading is simply feeding the bugs nutrient dense food. When your tree frog eats the bugs, it also gets the nutrients from whatever the insects ate!
If you’d like to learn more about this topic, we have a whole article on gut loading. You may be surprised at how easy it is!
Portion Size
Tree frogs are notorious for becoming obese when kept as pets. The best way to prevent this is to keep track of how much you feed.
How many bugs your tree frog needs to stay a healthy weight will depend on the species and age. Make sure you know the number of insects your tree frog should eat to avoid obesity and health complications.
A Note on Wild Caught Insects
We’ve talked a lot about “what do tree frogs eat” in this article. And in many cases, tree frogs eat bugs that you can find in your backyard.
It can be tempting to just go outside and catch grasshoppers. Or to get rid of the fruit flies in your kitchen by giving them to your frog. But don’t feed these bugs to your tree frog.
It’s not worth it. Wild insects can have diseases and parasites that could cause serious harm to your tree frog. They could also carry insecticides and weed killers.
What do Tree Frogs Eat? Dubia Roaches and Worms!
Dubia roaches and mealworms are excellent additions to a healthy tree frog diet. Roaches in particular are great because of their nutrition and gut load-ability.
Ready to give your tree frog the best? See our selection today!
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