Diet of a Leopard Frog

Leopard frogs eat mostly insects.

There are five species of frogs known as leopard frogs, and all require a carnivorous diet. They can be found throughout North America wherever fresh water meets land. Leopard frogs often are kept as pets, as they are hardy, long-lived and easy enough to feed in captivity. Insects make up the bulk of the leopard frog's diet.

Hunting Strategy

Leopard frogs are opportunistic feeders and will eat anything that moves that they can fit in their mouths. According to the British Columbia Frogwatch Program, leopard frogs use a "sit-and-wait strategy." They wait for prospective prey to come close, then "leap 15 to 40 cm to seize the prey." As both nocturnal (active at nighttime) and diurnal (active in daytime) species have been found in the leopard frog's stomach contents, it can be assumed that leopard frogs hunt both day and night.

Insects and Worms

Insects, worms and invertebrates make up the largest part of the leopard frog's diet. Among these prey items may be ants, spiders, beetles, flies, leafhoppers, crickets, and woodlice. Other invertebrate prey include pillbugs, worms, slugs and snails.

Larger Prey

Adult leopard frogs will eat smaller frogs, including smaller frogs of their own species. Voles, birds and garter snakes have been found in the stomachs of large northern leopard frogs

In Captivity

Though exact feeding strategies vary somewhat among frog keepers, the agreed-upon main food for leopard frogs should be live insects such as crickets mealworms and waxworms. The insects should be no bigger than the length between the frog's eyes, and should be properly "gutloaded" (fed nutritious fruits and vegetables) before feeding. Many keepers recommend dusting the insects with a reptile vitamin weekly. Pinkie mice can be offered to very large adult frogs as an occasional supplement. While juvenile leopard frogs are best fed daily, full-grown adults can be fed once every other day as many bits of food as it will eat within a half an hour or approximately three to four large insects per feeding.

Tadpoles

The tadpole of the leopard frog is mostly herbivorous, grazing on algae and other aquatic plant matter.

References

• Melissa Kaplan's Herp Care Collection: The Leopard Frogs
• Government of British Columbia Ministry of Environment Frogwatch Program: Northern Leopard Frog
• Reptic Zone: Care Sheet for Frogs
• Grizzly Run: Northern Leopard Frog and Southern Leopard Frog