Frog Diet & Habitat

Tropical Frog Habitat

• Tropical frog species are often found in dense rainforests, although some species are also found in sub-tropical climates like Florida. Some are tree frogs, living in canopies and amongst the leaves up high. Other tropical frog species spend their time in the mountain regions, underneath the leaf litter in much cooler and moist habitats. The habitats of these tropical frogs include wet leafy tree tops, streams and rivers or a combination of both. For example, the poison dart frog lives on the rainforest floor, but will climb the trees to deposit its tadpoles in the bromeliad plants that grow on tree trunks. Water collects in these plants, providing an adequate temporary habitat for the tadpoles.

Northern Frog Habitat

• Frogs that live in the colder regions of the world may inhabit forest floors with leaf litter, bushes and ponds, or humid coastal mountain areas. For example, the northern leopard frog can be found in almost all types of habitat in southern Canada and the northern U.S. These various habitats include suburban backyards with plenty of grass as well as wetlands and along streams or rivers.

  These frogs are well suited to colder climates, and their habitats usually need to be moist enough for the frogs to burrow in the mud or at the bottom of bodies of water during the winter. Northern frog habitats always include water of some sort, whether it be a swamp, pond, lake, river or stream. This access to water is necessary for frog breeding and tadpole life in cooler climates.

Desert Frog Habitat

• Despite the name, desert frogs still need water sources as a vital component of their habitat. One example is the Australian desert tree frog. The habitat of the desert tree frog does indeed include the desert, but only areas where there are cooler mountains or streams. Desert frog habitat is usually filled with low-lying scrub and rocks for the frogs to hide amongst.
  When water is absent from desert habitats, desert frogs will use temporary pools or puddles to lay their eggs. One exception is the flat-headed frog, a species of desert frog that will lay its eggs inside of its own body when there is no water in its habitat.

Insectivorous Frog Diet

• The majority of frog species have an insectivorous diet, eating only insects or other arthropods. The varieties of prey each species feeds on depends greatly on its habitat. For example, a desert frog may eat the occasional scorpion, while a northern frog will never encounter one. Likewise, the northern species of frogs will exist on a diet of insects and other bugs that the desert or rainforest frogs will not. Common prey items for all species include worms, larvae, spiders, flies, moths and crickets.

Carnivorous Frog Diet

• While most frogs are insectivorous, other species of frogs may eat small animals as well as insects. Common prey items for these frogs include fish, rodents and other frogs.