Different types of frogs and toads have a wide variety of diets, and you should take the time to research your animal's specific needs in order to keep it in good health. Generally, the proper diet for your frog or toad will be the one that is as close to its natural diet as possible. You should use caution at feeding time, as many frogs and toads will simply begin to lunge at anything they perceive to be food. This may include your hand, cage furnishings, or even the substrate. Although young frogs and toads will need to be fed more frequently than adult frogs, generally, mature animals will eat about three times each week. Younger animals may eat daily.

Frogs and toads are carnivorous and most eat insects. These are available at your local pet store for purchase, and there are many varieties. Many people find that their frog or toad will benefit most from this food when they gut load the insects. In order to do this, the insects are fed on calcium-rich insect food, fish food, dry dog food, or other foods that will be nutritious for your frog or toad. Although many people choose to feed their frogs or toads regular mealworms, it may actually be better to feed the Zophobas sp. variety of worms, sometimes called kingworms or superworms. This is because regular mealworms have a low ratio of meat to exoskeleton, and animals that eat many of these worms can get digestive impactions from the higher amounts of indigestible shell that they consume along with the meat. Zophobas mealworms have a higher meat to shell ratio and may not cause impactions as easily as regular mealworms. Crickets, fruit flies with or without wings, wax worms, butter worms, and other insects are usually available for feeding to your frog as appropriate.

Some frogs and toads will eat pinky mice or rats. It is recommended that these food items be killed prior to feeding, in order to reduce the risk of injury to your amphibian. A live animal may cause serious damage to a frog or toad. Pre-frozen food items may be readily available for purchase. These tend to be quite convenient, as they eliminate the need for you to raise your own prey items, and also they may be kept in large quantities, eliminating the need for frequent trips to the store. Before feeding such items, you should thoroughly defrost them, and, if possible, warm the prey item to the temperature it would have been if it were alive. Often frogs or toads will not eat dead, unmoving food, so you may need to gently move the prey item once it is in the cage. For some larger frogs or toads, you may wish to use tongs for this purpose so they do not accidentally bite your fingers. Some frogs and toads will also eat feeder fish like guppies or goldfish, and you can generally obtain these at your local pet store. It is usually best not to freeze these prey items.

Some smaller aquatic frogs and toads will eat fish flakes. However, it is best to keep in mind that fish foods are nutritionally formulated for fish, not amphibians. If you are feeding your animal fish food, it should generally not make up the bulk of the diet. Frozen or dried brine shrimp and bloodworms are also available for these types of frog. It is usually best to defrost the frozen food items before placing them in your animal's tank. It may be impossible for the frog or toad to be able to eat a piece of food off of such a frozen lump. By the time the food has defrosted, your amphibian may have lost interest and the food will fall uneaten to the bottom, leaving degraded water quality and a hungry amphibian.

Some people choose to dust their frog or toad's food with vitamin or mineral powder. The best way to ensure that your frog or toad gets proper nutrition, however, is to feed it a varied and correct diet. Calcium deficiencies are fairly common in frogs and toads, and it may be advisable to gut-load your insects with high calcium foods or dust them in a calcium powder. Over-feeding of vitamins and minerals has been known to cause renal failure and other serious health problems. However, vitamin deficiencies and malnutrition are also serious disorders.

Part Two - Housing

Part Four - Pro-Active Care