Pet Keeping: Leopard Frog
I don't even remember when I wrote this.
It was probably part of a fifth grade science fair
project. Thus, I admit to likely having parental aid on
this one. The information is still quite useful. (What an ironic thing to post after that first persuasive essay.) |
Food Preferences of a
Leopard Frog
Heather (and Myra) Davis
I found my leopard frog, Snappy, in February in a pond in
Sugarcreek Township, Armstrong County. I brought the frog home
and built him a habitat. In a plastic aquarium I created a "pond"
area and a dry area. Frogs are amphibians and must come out of
the water to breathe air. Therefore, they need both a wet place
and a dry place in order to survive. I placed gravel in the
bottom of the aquarium, added a couple of large rocks for the
frog to sit on out of the water, and added a couple inches of
water. The water had to set or age for 3 days in a plastic
pitcher to remove chlorine and other impurities. (Initially I
kept Snappy in natural pond water from Sugarcreek.) Next came the
problem of what to feed Snappy?
Because it was winter, natural food sources such as houseflies,
mosquitoes, etc. were unavailable. A local pet supply store
advised me that crickets are an acceptable food source for frogs.
Crickets cost from $0.70 to $0.90 a bag. A bag feeds the frog for
about 3 days. The cost per month is about $9.00. The cost per
year would be about $108.00. But an even greater problem occurred.
Crickets kill each other in captivity, so it was impossible to
maintain a food supply for the frog. Outdoors in the front yard I
discovered large supplies of Sow Bugs or Pill Bugs under rocks
and rotten leaves. Sow Bugs are really crustaceans related to
shrimp, crabs and lobsters. They have 7 pairs of legs and curl up
into balls when disturbed. They proved to be an ideal food for
the frog. They cost nothing and the frog can capture them with
ease and efficiently. Snappy has almost doubled in size on a diet
of Sow Bugs.
Snappy is a Leopard Frog. Leopard Frogs, named for the spotted
pattern on their backs, are probably the most common variety of
frog in the U.S.A. They inhabit nearly every pond and marsh.
Frogs, in general, are ecologically important because their diet
consists of insects. The Leopard Frog has also been used widely
in scientific investigations and expensive, fine cuisine (frog
legs). Not so for Snappy. He's a special pet!