This is a topic that comes up from time to time as a practice that is bad for the frogs, typically with the comment that rodents are too high in fat and lipids for the frogs..

This is not true. When you compare commercially available feeder insects with rodents on a kcal basis, the fat and lipid content of rodents and the insects are very close. This is why corneal lipidosis is commonly seen in frogs that are only fed commecially reared insects.

The problem comes around because people feed the frogs on a volume basis as opposed to understanding the caloric needs of the frog. Rodents are more nutritionally dense (which can be seen by simply weighing the rodent and the insects). For example, a pinkie the size of an adult cricket actually weighs as much as 4 large crickets. If the frog is then fed the pinks with anything close to the frequency of offering crickets, severe overfeeding then results with the issues that come from obesity.

For those that are interested in reading up on this, I suggest the Nutrition chapter in Amphibian Medicine and Captive Husbandry as a good starter point.

Ed

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