Pacman Vision (Can they see small bugs?)

[Ganache Toe]

Hi,

I am wondering, are leeches a viable food source for Pacman frogs? What are the risks (parasitism, indigestion, etc)? Also, are they nutritious?

I am starting various insect cultures, and I will probably delay getting a frog for another year. I think it's important to let the cultures establish before 'thinning the populations.' I already started a Blaptica dubia colony (approx. 6 months old, 2nd generation bugs have already appeared). I plan to cultivate other creatures, including:

Crickets
Leeches
grasshoppers
slugs
mealworms
earthworms (red worms)
mice (big question mark here).
Large pond water snail (for leech food!)
Sowbugs & Centipedes
Giant Water Bugs
Assorted small "oatmeal-beetles"
Maybe ants

Supply-wise, I have a cave, microprecipitated CaCO3, two heat mats, and ZooMed PacMan Frog Food (to be used as a supplement).
Any advice would be appreciated! Thanks,
~GanacheToe

[Ganache Toe]

Hi,


There's a lot of fascination about feeding PacMans 'huge' feeders, such as roaches and mice; but I believe a spectrum of smaller insects would supplement the frog's diet with micronutrients.

Thus, this begs the question: What is the smallest bug a Pacman will eat?

I plan to cultivate ants and small (~3/8" to 1/2") 'oatmeal beetles' of various species.

[Thevacantface]

I would avoid the leeches and snails because they are major parasite vectors.
Ant are more likely to be an irritation than a viable food source. Ant eating species are usually very specialized creatures.
Beetles and mealworms have to hard of an exoskeleton to be a safe food source.
Red earthworms have a bad taste, which could put the frog off on all worms and Canadian nightcrawlers are an excellent food source you want your frog to willingly eat.
I know nothing about the water bugs, slugs may fall into the same issue as snails, mice should be a rare treat not a staple, and I personally think crickets smell bad and are a pain to raise.

[monster]

Yes they would be able able to see something that small, the smallest thing they would probably eat is a small cricket or something around the same size. And out of all honesty a lot of pacmans after a couple of months couldn't be bothered by such a small meal. IMO feeding them ants wouldn't be in the best interest of the frog though. What kind of ants where you planning to cultivate? I have kept numerous ants farms over the years of a couple different species and even one nice big carpenter ant or something equivalent to there size if threatened will attack. And im saying that because sometimes your frog will miss its target and if an ant that big gets on top of the frog he's going to bite him and probably more then once. Also ants are actually part of the same family that wasps come from in which a lot of ants have stingers and the bite is only to hold on so they can stick that bad boy in and inject there venom in. Now don't get me wrong I don't think that little bit of what ever they inject is going to kill him, but some species of ant may make him sick and it isn't going to feel good when it bites him. I have got bit and stung and it doesn't feel great by some of those bigger ants.

[Lija]

You would be taking huge heath risks for your frog, potentially killing it if you are to feed most things on your list.

To add to what was said already. Small insects like ants pac won't consider food.

Have nightcrawlers and roaches, 1 mouse no more then once a month and you will be just fine

[Lija]

Cleaned the threads a bit

[DVirginiana]

There are no 'micronutrients' that would be present in smaller feeders that aren't present in larger ones as well. That has to do with what you use to gutload the feeders moreso than the species of feeder. Seconding what everyone else has said about sticking to roaches, crickets, and the occasional pinkie mouse. The fascination with them isn't because they're big, it's because they are nutritious and the appropriate size for a pac.

Also, leeches produce a strong anticoagulant called hirundin that is actually used as a blood thinner in humans. I think it could cause serious issues if ingested in any large quantity by something as small as a frog.