Frogs are not picky eaters, but have you ever wondered if they eat slugs?
Frogs eat slugs and snails. They are generalist predators that will eat almost any prey they can catch and fit into their mouths, including slugs and other small animals.
That said, some species of slugs are either toxic or distasteful, and will largely be avoided by most frogs (more information is below).
Frogs Can Eat Most Slugs
Frogs are opportunistic predators with very diverse diets. Smaller frogs mostly eat small worms and a wide variety of bugs, but large frogs such as bullfrogs will also eat smaller amphibians, small lizards, mice, and even small snakes!
If a small enough slug passes in front of a hungry frog, the frog will try to eat it.
In addition to eating adult slugs, frogs also eat slug eggs and baby slugs.
Since baby slugs are smaller than adult slugs, even frogs that are too small to eat most adult slugs (such as newly metamorphosed froglets), can readily feast on them.
How Do Frogs Eat Slugs?
Frogs catch and eat slugs the same way they catch and eat insects. They have sticky tongues that allow them to catch any prey that comes into range quickly.
Once a frog spots a small enough slug, 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 slug is in the mouth, the frog will swallow it whole, then the slug will go down to the stomach and be digested..
Are Slugs Good or Bad for Frogs?
Most slugs are generally harmless, and are a rich source of protein, fat, fiber, and energy, and can be a significant source of vitamins and minerals for frogs.
However, sometimes slugs may be exposed to pesticides that can be harmful to a frog when the snails are eaten.
Also, snails and slugs often carry many parasites such as the rat lungworm that could be passed on to a frog if the snails/slugs were eaten.
Rat lungworm parasite under a microscope.
Can You Feed Slugs to a Captive Frog?
In general, it is not a very good idea to offer wild slugs or any other wild prey to captive frogs. As mentioned earlier, wild slugs may be carrying pesticides that can be harmful to a frog.
In addition, a healthy-looking slug could be carrying parasites that can easily be passed on to a frog if the slug is eaten.
Should you ever want to feed slugs to your frog, be sure to use captive-bred snails that you are 100% sure are free of parasites or pesticides.
Still, a diet of slugs will be not appropriate for all frog species.
That being said, slugs should be fine for most frogs, as long as they are captive-bred for the live food industry and not taken from the wild.
Here is a list of other things you can feed a captive frog:
- Worms (earthworms, whiteworms, blackworms, etc)
- Mealworms, waxworms, phoenix worms, superworms
- Silkworms, hornworms
- Crickets
- Dubia roaches
- Wingless fruit flies
- Feeder Fish
- Pinkie mice (for large frogs such as bullfrogs)
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.
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.
Small frogs, on the other hand, should preferably be fed soft-bodied invertebrates like crickets, hornworms, silkworms, etc.
A varied diet is recommended, so remember to change up the food items offered to the frog every few feedings.
Whatever you feed, make sure that the prey is well gut-loaded or dusted so your frog gets all the nutrients it needs to stay strong and healthy!
Some Slugs Are Poisonous
Some slugs such as the banana slug found on the Pacific Northwest coast of North America, have toxic mucus so some frogs will learn to avoid eating them.
When threatened by a predator, banana slugs secrete lots of slimy mucus. When this mucus is swallowed by the predator (a frog for example), it will make the predator’s tongue or throat go numb.
Banana slugs have toxic mucus so some frogs will avoid eating them.
To warn predators of their toxicity, banana slugs have a bright coloration. This is known as “warning coloration”.
A frog that eats a brightly colored poisonous slug will remember the experience and learn to avoid eating similarly colored slugs in the future.
Still, even toxic slugs are regularly preyed on by many frog species.
Conclusion
Frogs have very diverse diets and will eat a variety of food sources available in their environment.
Frogs that live in environments with an abundance of slugs will regularly eat slugs as part of their diet.