Frogs are obligate carnivores, which means they eat prey instead of plants or vegetation. These amphibians are generalist predators who eat almost any prey they can catch and fit into their mouths.
Frogs are ambush hunters instinctively attracted to movement while hunting for food. For this reason, most frogs will not eat dead bugs that are not moving or wriggling around.
That said, a few frog species such as the Cane toads (Rhinella marina) are known to frequently eat dead bugs, and even dog food left out doors (more information on that is bellow).
Most Frogs Do Not Recognize Dead Bugs as Food
Frogs and most other amphibians primarily rely on their vision when hunting for food. They detect prey by movement, or motion.
Dead bugs that are not moving do not trigger frogs’ hunting instincts.
A frog that is placed in a box with only dead bugs will likely not recognize the bugs as food, and may eventually starve to death.
Many insects play dead (Scientifically known as thanatosis, or tonic immobility) as a way to avoid being eaten by predators, including frogs.
Some insects, such as the larvae of some European ant-lions (Euroleon nostras ) can play dead and remain motionless for over an hour.
The longer the insect is able to feign death, the greater its chances for survival. It will not not register as food to the frog, as long as it remains motionless.
Frogs Are Primarily Ambush Hunters
Frogs are generally not fast-moving creatures. This means they can not actively chase after prey as some other predators do. Instead, they wait for the prey to come to them, by using a passive ‘sit and wait’ hunting strategy.
This is an ambush-style technique where the frog hides in shady areas or burrows slightly in the mud and then pounce on any prey that passes by.
Frogs have sticky tongues that allow them to catch any moving insect that comes into range quickly.
Once a frog spots an insect, it launches its tongue to catch the prey. After catching the prey, the tongue wraps around it and coats it with sticky saliva.
The frog will then yank its tongue back with a force equal to twelve times greater than the force of gravity.
Once the insect is in the mouth, the frog will swallow it whole (although frogs have teeth, they do not use them to chew, but rather to maintain a grip on their prey as they swallow it whole).
A frog can shoot out its tongue, capture an insect, and pull it back into its mouth within 07 seconds; which is five times faster than the human eye can blink. This speed makes it effective at catching even fast-flying insects such as flies.
Since frogs are ambush hunters, their hunting instinct is only triggered by bugs that are moving or wriggling around.
Cane Toads Regularly Eat Dead Bugs
Cane toads (Rhinella marina) mostly eat insects, worms, snails, smaller frogs, small mammals, and other live prey items.
However, they have also been observed eating carrion, processed cat and dog food, household garbage scraps, and even animal excreta.
Unlike most frogs that find their prey by movement, cane toads primarily use vision to find prey, and can also use their sense of smell to find food, such as dead bugs or dog food left outdoors.
Some Captive Frogs May Be Enticed to Eat Dead Bugs
Feeding live bugs to a frog is very straightforward; simply simply dump the food into its enclosure and let the frog have its fill.
However, this would not work for dead bugs because we would not see them as food.
To entice a frog into eating dead bugs, you have to entice it by manually moving the bugs yourself.
You could push the bugs around with your fingers to make them look alive – but the most effective way is yo move the bugs with the use of some tongs.
Use the tongs to gently hold the food item, then rub it near the nose of the frog. Once he sees it, he will grab it and eat it.
That said, this method does not work for all frogs. Some individuals may refuse to eat dead bugs, even when enticed.
Still, it’s important to remember that frogs do not naturally eat dead prey in the wild, so it’s always best to feed live bugs to your captive frog.
Live Bugs vs Dead Bugs: Advantages and Disadvantages
There are advantages to feeding a frog dead bugs, but there are also some disadvantages.
| Advantages | Disadvantages | |
| Live bugs |
|
|
| Dead |
|
|
Live Food Is Always Ideal for Frogs
In the wild, frogs munch on worms, grasshoppers, moths, spiders, snails, grubs, and more. All this prey is eaten live and whole.
Even in captivity, it’s best to give your frog a diet that closely mimics what it would eat in the wild. This means live prey is almost always better than dead prey for captive frogs.
These live prey items can be purchased in a pet store, online, or even from another hobbyist.
Here’s a list of things you can feed frogs in captivity:
- Crickets, dubia roaches, orange head roaches
- Wingless fruit flies, nightcrawlers
- Mealworms, waxworms, Super worms,
- Phoenix Worms, black soldier fly larvae
- Silkworms, hornworms
- Pinkie mice
The most appropriate food will depend on the size and species of the frog.
For example, some tree frogs won’t eat mealworms, but will readily eat crickets and wingless fruit flies.
That said, dusted and gut-loaded crickets can make up a majority of most frogs’ diets.
Large frogs, such as bullfrogs enjoy the occasional “pinkie” in their diet. A “pinkie” is a tiny, baby mouse. You can find them in pet stores either alive or frozen although it can be difficult to get frogs to eat the dead/frozen ones.
A varied diet is recommended, so be sure to change up the food items offered to the frog every few feedings.
Here Is the Nutritional Content of Different Types of Feeders:
| Protein | Fat | Fiber | Moisture | |
| Silkworms | 13% | 2% | 3% | 79% |
| Hornworms | 9% | 3% | 1% | 85% |
| Waxworms | 14% | 18% | 3% | 62% |
| Crickets | 18% | 6% | 2% | 73% |
| Dubia roaches | 21% | 9% | 5% | 65% |
| Flightless fruit flies | 21% | 5% | 5% | 70% |
| Earthworms | 10% | 2% | 2% | 84% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Do frogs eat dried mealworms? Frogsare instinctively attracted to movement while hunting for food. For this reason, most frogs will not eat dried mealworms or other dead bugs.
Do frogs eat dead crickets? Most frogs do not eat dead crickets, because they are instinctively attracted to movement when hunting for food. Dead crickets will not trigger frogs’ hunting instincts unless they are manually moved around to make them seem alive.
Can you feed dead insects to a frog? In general, frogs should not be fed dead insects, because they only eat live insects in the wild. Dead insects are not part of a frog’s natural diet.
Sources:
Humphreys RK, Ruxton GD. A review of thanatosis (death feigning) as an anti-predator behaviour. Behav Ecol Sociobiol. 2018;72(2):22. doi: 10.1007/s00265-017-2436-8. Epub 2018 Jan 15. PMID: 29386702; PMCID: PMC5769822.
Nishikawa, Kiisa. (2000). Feeding in Frogs. 10.1016/B978-012632590-4/50006-X.