What Are Things That Frogs Eat?

Frogs range in size from the Goliath frog of West Africa, which averages 30 cm in length, to the Psyllophryne didactyla of Brazil, which average 9.8 mm in length. There are more than 2,700 species of these amphibians throughout the world. Frogs are carnivores and inhabit moist climates.

  1. Prey

    • Frogs will eat any kind of food that is available in their environment, including spiders, snails, worms, small fish and mice. Frogs spend much of their time near or in water to keep their skin moisturized. They hunt for prey on the ground and sometimes at the edge of the water if they're trying to catch fish. Tropical frogs, however, are adept at finding prey in trees and undergrowth.

    Hunting

    • There is no common time for frogs to hunt for food. Some frogs hunt in the morning, and others prefer to wait until evening before foraging for food. When a frog leaps after prey, its eyes close and withdraw into their sockets to prevent injury. Because frogs lack teeth, they use their long, sticky tongues to capture prey. Frogs can whip out their tongues faster than the human eye can follow. However, according to Ecopsychology.org, some frogs such as the African clawed frog do not have tongues and must rely on their hands and mouth to snag their prey. (see reference 3 for source)

    Eating

    • A frog's tongue can extend, stick to prey and roll back into its mouth in about one second. Nature photography has revealed that a frog's eyes close when its tongue shoots out, which means frogs must judge the location of their prey with accuracy. Frogs swallow their prey whole, which may take some time depending on the size of the frog. Larger frogs, such as the horned frog that lives in Argentina, can consume a mouse with one swallow. (see reference 4 for source)

    Life Cycle

    • Female frogs lay eggs in clusters in order for male frogs to fertilize them, a process known as spawning. Fertilized eggs that survive hatch in seven to nine days, resulting in the birth of tadpoles, tiny amphibians that grow to fullness in about nine weeks, at which time they develop long tails. After seven more weeks of development, the tadpole grows a tongue and sheds its tail, and is considered an adult frog. Male frogs will then seek female frogs to reproduce and begin the cycle once more. (see reference 2 for source)