Do Frogs Eat Cockroaches?

Yes, Frogs can eat cockroaches due to their sticky tongue and their agility through trees. Before giving your pet frogs some cockroaches, take a look at this guide. Here, we’ll explain:

Yes, Frogs love eating cockroaches! Cockroaches are moving prey to them, making it easier for the frog to sense and chase after them. Frogs and toads are known for eating insects, and will eat a cockroach without hesitation.

Since frogs like to live in moist, swamp-like environments, they often encounter cockroaches in the wild. Most homeowners include water-themed areas on purpose to encourage insect eating amphibians to eat cockroaches.

What Kind of Frogs Eat Cockroaches?

Tree frogs

Tree frogs are any frogs that live the majority of their lives on trees. You can find them on tall trees or areas with high growing vegetation. The majority of tree frogs are small, making it easier for them to latch onto twigs and branches and jump from tree to tree.

For tree frogs, they have no problem eating a cockroach. They simply hang onto a tree and wait for a cockroach to come by. Once the cockroach is in their line of sight, the tree frog can use their tongue to eat them.

Video of a tree frogs eating cockroaches.

Pacman frogs

Pacman frogs spend most of their lives in humid environments.Have They received their name from the popular video game “Pac Man”. They have wide mouths, giving them a “Pac Man” appearance. Their diet includes cockroaches, crickets, mealworms, and even feeder fish.

Like the tree frog, the Pacman frog will wait for the cockroach to come near them. Once spotted, the Pacman frog will open their mouth wide and eat the cockroach instantly.

Video of pacman frog eating hissing cockroach.

Mimic Poison Frogs

The mimic poison frog is known for its varied color patterns. They have 4 different morphs, each having their own distinct set of hues. The morphs have evolved through a process called mimetic radiation, where a frog takes on the appearance of a similar species.

Despite their name, mimic poison frogs don’t contain poison within them. However, they can obtain their poisonous characteristics by eating toxic insects.

Mimic poison frogs like to eat small insects such as termites and ants. With cockroaches, they eat them as a regular part of their diet.

What Kind of Roaches Do Frogs Eat?

Dubia Roaches

Dubia roaches are medium sized insects that can reach up to 1.6 to 1.8 inches long. While the male roaches have wings, they are unable to fly properly. Female dubia roaches are unable to fly because of their small, non-functioning wings.

Dubia roaches make great feeder food for your frog. They are rich in protein and have more meat than crickets making them a great food choice for frogs and small lizards.

Discoid Roaches

Discoid roaches are similar to dubia roaches, but have a few minor differences. For instance, the discoid roach has more moisture than its dubia counterpart. If your frog has an issue such as gut impaction, feed them discoid roaches as their added moisture helps them digest the food faster.

Calcium is an important factor for frogs. And Discoid roaches have a better calcium to phosphorus ratio than dubia roaches. Phosphorus is an important mineral to consider as it reduces the amount of calcium your frogs can absorb from food.

Discoid roaches have a 1:3 calcium-to-phosphorus ratio while the dubia roaches have a 1:22 ratio. This means that if you feed your frog dubia roaches, you’ll need to give them an additional calcium supplement to ensure their nutrition needs are met.

Lateralis Roaches

Also known as the Turkestan cockroach, lateralis roaches are a common prey for frogs. Adult males reach up to 3cm in length. The male roaches have a light brown color while their female counterparts are dark brown or black.

Lateralis roaches are used as feeder food for frogs. Cockroaches are more common than crickets as feeder food because of their low cost and their availability. Thus, making it easier to see lateralis roaches in pet stores. Make sure that you obtain them from a reputable store before buying them. Doing this will ensure that the roaches are clean and ready for your frog to digest.

How Do Frogs Catch Cockroaches?

Frogs’ Hunting Style

Frogs tend to hunt by staying near a tree and waiting for their prey to arrive. Tree frogs have feet that allow them to connect to the branches, making it easier to maneuver around. Their tongue is their main weapon during hunting, and they use it to capture prey from long distances.

How long is a frog’s tongue? On average their tongue is around ⅓ the length of their body. Their tongue is attached to the front of their mouths, allowing them to extend their entire tongue outside their mouth.

Tongue Speed

Frogs have the ability to extend and retract their tongues at an alarming speed. In fact, a frog can extend its tongue within 0.07 seconds! This speed makes it difficult for the cockroach to react because they’re already consumed by the frog once they realize what is going on.

Tongue Mucus

Before engaging with the cockroach, the frog will start to produce mucus through its tongue. Once the tongue impacts the insect, the mucus saliva starts to reach its exoskeleton. The mucus is 5 times stickier than honey, making it easier for the frog to keep the insect in their mouth.

Once the insect is in the frog’s mouth, the frog uses its eyes to push the insect in their stomach. During this stage, the tongue loses its adhesive properties but allows the frog to easily digest the insect.

Because of its tongue mucus, frogs are highly effective predators against cockroaches. This helps the frog survive and lay eggs for the next life cycle.

Final thoughts

To conclude, frogs can eat cockroaches. Always prepare a container of feeder cockroaches to ensure that your frog remains healthy. By giving your frogs a consistent supply of cockroaches, you’re giving them the nutrients needed for them to survive and reproduce.

FAQs

Do Tree Frogs Eat Roaches?

Tree frogs eat roaches as a common staple in their diet. The frogs are faster than roaches, as their bodies can grip onto trees and move around.The best way to feed your frog roaches is by preparing them first.

Start by placing the roaches inside a small container, making it easier for you to feed them to your frog. If you have a baby frog, feed them 1-2 roaches per meal. For adult frogs, feed them 4-5 roaches per meal. Doing so ensures that your frogs will remain fed while maintaining their dietary needs.

When you’re ready to feed your frog, slowly remove the roaches from the container into their tank. That way, your frog will be able to react to their presence and eat them faster.

Can Tree Frogs Eat Dubia Roaches?

Tree frogs can eat dubia roaches, but you’ll have to take its calcium-to-phosphorus content into consideration. As we stated earlier, dubia roaches have a 1:22 ratio, meaning that they’ll need additional food to satisfy their stomach.

When feeding your frog dubia roaches, give them time to eat and digest them. Avoid overfeeding them, as it could lead to future health problems down the line.

What Kind of Frogs Eat Cockroaches?

What Kind of Roaches Do Frogs Eat?

How Do Frogs Catch Cockroaches?

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