What Do Baby Florida Tree Frogs Eat?
Florida has many different types of tree frogs. When young, these tree frogs can be quite small, making feeding a challenge for those who decide to keep them as pets. Knowing what to feed and how often to feed will help you to raise a healthy Florida tree frog.
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What to Feed
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Baby Florida tree frogs eat the same thing that adult Florida tree frogs eat; they just eat small varieties and less of what the adults may eat. The tree frog will feed on crickets, moths, and flies. In the wild Florida tree frogs will eat any insects that they can catch in their natural habitat. In captivity you may have to work with what you can find, such as crickets. Crickets are generally the easiest to come by as they are sold in pet stores, although you may be able to catch plenty of insects in your yard. The tinier the frog the tinier the food needs to be.
In captivity you may also want to supplement the frog's diet. When you visit your local pet store you will find a supplement powder that can be mixed with a small amount of water. The frog may not show interest immediately, but will likely become more familiar with it over time.
How Much to Feed
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The supplemental powder should be fed to your Florida tree frog once a week. If the tree frog does not like the powder mixed with water you can always dust the crickets or other insects in the powder to ensure that they get the supplements that they need to be healthy. Baby Florida tree frogs should be fed once a day. You'll need to experiment with how much to feed. You can start with one or two small crickets and if they still appear that they will ingest more you can add two or three more. When you get to know your baby Florida tree frog better you'll be able to better predict how hungry they are.
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If the Frog Won't Eat
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If your baby Florida tree frog won't eat, don't worry about it too much. Frogs are much like people, eventually they will get hungry enough that they will eat. Simply leave the food in the tank. Chances are that when you come back in a few hours or the next day the food will be gone.
Hand feeding is often necessary with babies who have not yet learned how to catch bugs on their own. Blunt tip forceps can be helpful as this will allow you to hold the bug in front of the frog so they can easily grab it. Other frogs simply will not eat if the food is not live, so this is another consideration if you are feeding frozen crickets, worms, flies, or moths.
Tiny Bugs for Tiny Frogs
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If you have a very tiny baby Florida tree frog you may need to start even smaller than crickets or worms, which can both be purchased at your local pet store. A great place to look is your back yard. Aphids or fruit flies are often a great food for baby tree frogs because they are very small. As your baby Florida tree frog grows you can gradually start introducing crickets and larger insects.
Habitat
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Many frogs will not eat when first placed in a new habitat. In addition, Florida tree frogs may not eat if they don't have a suitable habitat. You need a 10-gallon tank with smooth substrate such as mulch or wet soil, and there should be branches and plants for climbing. You'll want to keep the tank anywhere from 68 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit with the help of under tank heating or a basking light. There should also be fresh water available around the clock.
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