Reptile & Amphibian Forums

This is a true story. Last night, after feeding my frog a couple of calcium enricked flies, I turned off its light and settled down to a good nights sleep, hoping it would do the same. Not more than five minutes later, however, I heard a loud splash. 'What the. . .' I thought to myself, and took a quick peak in the tank. Turning on the light, I couldn't believe what I saw.

My juvenile bullfrog, not more than four to five inches, had about a three inch fat gold fish in its mouth. It couldn't swallow it, but I gave it some time to see if it would. Fearing it might choke, I quickly took the fish out, only to find out it was still alive.

Can you believe it!! I didn't know that frogs could catch fish, but they can. It's amazing.

have you seen the discovery channal episode that shows a bull frog catching and eating a sparrow that came to the waters edge to drink. just amazing. bullfrogs are pigs pure and simple and anything they can catch and fit in their mouth they will try to eat.. they go after my fishing lures and bobbers all the time.

Same. I expect a bass on the end of my line and I pull a bullfrog out. If you cast onto the shore, they will chase lures as well. They will eat anything they can fit in their mouths, and even some things they probably can't. That is what makes them so destructive as an invasive species. Andy
-----
Andy Maddox
AIM: SurfAndSkimTx04
MSN: Poloboy32486@hotmail.com
Houston Herp Key
The Reptizone

Burgundy baby, With your blue eyed soul, You play the hits and I'm on that roll, Capricorn sister, Freddie Mercury, Jupiter Child cry

I'm just wondering two things: First, do bullfrogs eat fish in the wild? Second, can they choke or die if they try to or eat something that's too big for it to digest?

If this bullfrog went for the goldfish it must mean that they go for fish in the wild, especially fish that are surfacing for air, bugs, or what not. Therefore, I'm wondering if live fish isn't such a bad food to add to their diet.

Needless to say, they poor goldfish are goners now. I foolishly put them in with my turtles, thinking they'd outswim them just like my other goldies, but the turts got 'em both. Feel bad, as they were like bros. and sis.

Bullfrogs do eat fish, but not goldfish. If you can get sunfish, gambusia, and small native north american fish, then sure, go for it. But even then, fish can potentially harbor more parasites than an invertebrate, or so it would seem to me.

Bullfrogs can and will choke on large food items. Often frogs such as bullfrogs, horned frogs, african bullfrogs, budgetts frogs, ect. will die from swallowing meals that are too large. They do not judge size well.
-----
Andy Maddox
AIM: SurfAndSkimTx04
MSN: Poloboy32486@hotmail.com
Houston Herp Key
The Reptizone

Burgundy baby, With your blue eyed soul, You play the hits and I'm on that roll, Capricorn sister, Freddie Mercury, Jupiter Child cry

Thanks, Snakeguy. You know, I know these things intuitively, saying to myself last night, Don't let froggie swallow that big fish. Guess I was right.

But about goldfish. Is every once in a while okay? That is, to feed them to bullfrogs? Or how can I prevent parasites? Are smaller goldfish less susceptible to have parasites? I just fed her one, and she downed it pretty good.

Parasites can normally be broken down by freezing. I am not sure if this affects frogs, but goldfish contain a certain enzyme called thiaminase, which breaks down thiamin which is necessary for the animal to get proper Vitamin B quantities. Freezing, according to what I have read, increases that amount or potency of that thiaminase. As I said, I don't know if this will affect frogs, but I know it has certain symptoms that pop up rather frequently in snakes fed only feeder goldfish. As well, goldfish are almost too high in calcium, and the fat they contain is not a sort of fat that is easily metabolized by the frogs. I would see them as something to stay away from, but that is my opinion as many people say they feed fish. I will not touch them anymore for my frogs though. Andy
-----
Andy Maddox
AIM: SurfAndSkimTx04
MSN: Poloboy32486@hotmail.com
Houston Herp Key
The Reptizone

Burgundy baby, With your blue eyed soul, You play the hits and I'm on that roll, Capricorn sister, Freddie Mercury, Jupiter Child cry

Okay, Andy, but what about other fish? Would fresh minnows be okay, or even things like live shrimp, freshwater eels, or other types of fish?

I live in the Orient, and open air markets here have an array of choice foods such as these to delve into for our reptile friends.

Also, how much do you feed your frogs?

This summer while visiting a nursery a lady told me that her son found an adult bullfrog dead with a squirrel lodged in it's throat! I was pretty amazed! They really are something else.

Those bullfrogs are amazing eaters. We like to sit by a certain swamp in the summer, and watch the bullfrogs eat small leopard frogs which hop by. Really fascinating!
But they are a native species here, so it is not like they're invasive, so it's all good.
-----
*~Ginevive~*

Budgett's frogs also eat live goldfish.

I've seen pictures of bullfrogs eating *snakes*. swallows them whole. ewwwww

I guess a frog's motto is "Have mouth..will travel"

JadeFox