The American Tree Frog, encompassing species such as the American Green Tree Frog and the Gray Tree Frog, is a small, arboreal amphibian found across the Eastern and Central United States. These frogs are primarily nocturnal, spending their days hidden among vegetation in habitats ranging from open canopy forests to suburban backyards with permanent water sources. Their survival depends entirely on successfully hunting and consuming live prey. Understanding their feeding habits in the wild and in captivity is essential for ensuring their health.
Natural Hunting and Prey
In the wild, the American Tree Frog is an opportunistic predator that hunts after dusk, using the cover of night to find its meals. Its diet is diverse, reflecting the variety of small invertebrates found in the trees and shrubs they inhabit, including flies, mosquitoes, small spiders, beetles, and moths. Research suggests that these frogs prefer moving targets, as nearly 90% of a wild frog’s diet consists of actively pursued prey. Gray Tree Frogs often forage in the understory, consuming mites, plant lice, and snails. This natural diet is high in chitin and diverse in nutrients.
Captive Diet Requirements
Maintaining the health of captive American Tree Frogs requires replicating the nutritional complexity of their wild diet. The foundation of a captive diet is live insects, typically crickets, which are easily sourced and accepted. Prey should always be appropriately sized, never exceeding the distance between the frog’s eyes to prevent impaction.
Other feeder insects can include:
- Mealworms
- Waxworms
- Calci-worms
- Small hornworms
Gut-loading is essential, involving feeding the feeder insects a nutritious diet 24 to 72 hours before offering them to the frog. This transfers beneficial vitamins and minerals to the frog. Additionally, insects must be dusted with powdered nutritional supplements to prevent metabolic bone disease. Juvenile frogs require daily dusting with a calcium supplement fortified with Vitamin D3. Adults need the calcium supplement at every feeding and a multivitamin powder two to three times per week.
The Mechanics of Feeding
The American Tree Frog employs an ambush hunting strategy, relying on stillness and camouflage to capture unsuspecting prey. Once a target is detected, the frog executes a rapid, coordinated movement to secure the meal. The frog’s specialized tongue is highly specialized, covered in sticky mucus that adheres instantly and powerfully to the insect. The entire process of extension, capture, and retraction is extremely fast, allowing the frog to consume insects mid-air or from a surface. Juvenile frogs must be offered food daily, while adults typically feed every two to three days, and they absorb moisture through a specialized dermal patch on their belly, taking in water from damp surfaces or standing water.