Tarantulas eat frogs?

[ballpython2]

In the wild would a frog such as a green tree frog ever be part of a tarantula's diet? do Tarantuals even eat any species of frog at all? I never seen it on nature shows so, I was just wondering.

 

[chris 71]

they eat frogs for sure

 

[ballpython2]

Are tarantulas immune to the posion of firebelly toads? I'll probably try to feed them a green frog.

Definitely, NOT a pac man frog cause the T would be the dinner and that would suck

 

[regalis]

sure.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z05Pw3kM3ZM

 

[Merfolk]

It's actually one of the best foods, and one of the few vertebrates they ACTUALY eat in the wild. While I still search for wild pics of a T eating a rodent, images of T's eating frogs in the wild abund.

Swamp species like blondi and co are big frog eaters. In captivity, I noticed that a frog meal is easier digested. A pinkie of the same size leaves my animal bloated for weeks.

If you collect, check out the envirronment around for sources of pesticides since
they will surely enter the frogs via their preys. If you find very few frogs in a place where they used to thrive, move away. Pesticides hinder their reproduction, hence it's an accurate sign that this spot is contaminated to levels that could kill T's in a meal or two!!!

If the spot seems safe but you still feel unsure, just feed one or two frogs then switch to something else and wait for a while. Toxins can accumulate in a T, so a steady diet of animals slightly tainted might kill them on the long run.

 

[dragonblade71]

According to one website, Australian tarantulas are one of the very animals down under that prey on the introduced cane toads.

 

[dtknow]

Another thing. Check your laws. Today many frogs are protected due to losing habitat etc. and no longer are common as before. Bullfrogs in many states, however, if you have a fishing license the limit is 20 per day. If you live in a state where they are nonnative(CA for example) you'd be doing the enviroment good by taking out a slingshot and nailing as many of them as possible. If you are in a Southern State, feed your T's Cuban treefrogs which are nonnative and invasive as opposed to the native green treefrog. You will be feeding your T's and helping the environment.

I'm pretty sure lots of arboreals(Avics, pokies, etc.) encounter frogs very often in the wild.

 

[ballpython2]

So Tarantulas are immune to the toxins cane toads secret off as a defensive to their predators?

And I don't have to worry about Pesticides because all my frogs are going to come from the pet store. I'm going to be using green tree frogs

 

[Mushroom Spore]

If you collect, check out the envirronment around for sources of pesticides since they will surely enter the frogs via their preys. If you find very few frogs in a place where they used to thrive, move away. Pesticides hinder their reproduction, hence it's an accurate sign that this spot is contaminated to levels that could kill T's in a meal or two!!!

Actually, it's worse than that. Frogs absorb things through their skin, so ANY KIND of pollutant in the environment will rapidly build up in their bodies, not just pesticides. THAT'S why frogs are disappearing, not because of pesticides messing up reproduction.

So Tarantulas are immune to the toxins cane toads secret off as a defensive to their predators?

Woah there. A tarantula native to the cane toad's territory MIGHT be resistant. Or they might drop dead if they haven't evolved to eat the cane toad specifically.

 

[Drachenjager]

Woah there. A tarantula native to the cane toad's territory MIGHT be resistant. Or they might drop dead if they haven't evolved to eat the cane toad specifically.

aussie Ts eat cane toads and arent native to the same place cane toads are since the cane toad iw an introduced species to Australia
And please dont try to tell me that they evolved to eat the cane toads because that contradicts the evolutionary need for huge periods of time. according to evolutionary theory as i under stand it , cane toads havent been in australia long enough for predators to evolve to eat it and thats why they are so invasive. The Australian Ts must be able to eat them fopr some other reason than they evolved to be able to.

 

[Talkenlate04]

NOOOOOOOOOOO FROGS, Never no how no way. I after last summer I learned a lot about frogs. Frogs carry NEMATODES. And nematodes KILL Tarantulas.
I had an adult B. Smithi go down a few weeks after eating a frog. I fed them to my Ts every summer because they were there for the feeding, but now I will never do it again.

 

[hamfoto]

aussie Ts eat cane toads and arent native to the same place cane toads are since the cane toad iw an introduced species to Australia
And please dont try to tell me that they evolved to eat the cane toads because that contradicts the evolutionary need for huge periods of time. according to evolutionary theory as i under stand it , cane toads havent been in australia long enough for predators to evolve to eat it and thats why they are so invasive. The Australian Ts must be able to eat them fopr some other reason than they evolved to be able to.

Do Aussie T's eat cane toads? Maybe...when the toad is small. From what I remember, the cane toad poison is specific to vertebrates. A lot of venoms and poisons are specific to certain predators or prey.
And actually there is a documented case recently of a snake in Australia that has actually evolved within our own lifetime to be able to eat the cane toad. They're doing research on it right now...They find some that still die from the toxins...but there are populations they are finding that are now immune to it. This is very rapid evolution, yes. Evolution does not have to slow and take thousands or millions of years. It all depends on the selective pressures being applied as well as the other evolutionary processes in that population.

Chris

 

[Merfolk]

Someone should post a guide to raise them, thoug!!!

 

[dragonblade71]

Remember that with cane toads, the poison 'sacs' or whatever they're called are located in a certain part of the amphibian (I can't recall exactly where but I think it was a small part of the body - one on each side I think.) Perhaps the Aussie Ts mainly bite them on the areas of the body away from the poison 'sacs' and suck up only the contents from the main part of the body (excluding the poison 'sacs.') I'm just theorising anyway. Who knows, there may be instances of Aussie Ts biting the wrong part of the body and suffering fatalities. Though I honestly don't know any details. The website didn't go into specifics at all.

 

[verry_sweet]

NOOOOOOOOOOO FROGS, Never no how no way. I after last summer I learned a lot about frogs. Frogs carry NEMATODES. And nematodes KILL Tarantulas.
I had an adult B. Smithi go down a few weeks after eating a frog. I fed them to my Ts every summer because they were there for the feeding, but now I will never do it again.

Thanx for the warning Ryan. I was thinking about it but not any more.

Steph

 

[dtknow]

Remember that with cane toads, the poison 'sacs' or whatever they're called are located in a certain part of the amphibian (I can't recall exactly where but I think it was a small part of the body - one on each side I think.) Perhaps the Aussie Ts mainly bite them on the areas of the body away from the poison 'sacs' and suck up only the contents from the main part of the body (excluding the poison 'sacs.') I'm just theorising anyway. Who knows, there may be instances of Aussie Ts biting the wrong part of the body and suffering fatalities. Though I honestly don't know any details. The website didn't go into specifics at all.

Probably the way tarantulas eat by secreting enzymes into their prey denatures the toxins before they are ingested...my guess.

Also, GP by talkenlate, wild frogs do indeed carry a parasite load which includes nematodes.

 

[ballpython2]

they eat frogs for sure

chris 71 if this is your picture did your Tarantula get nematodes from eating this frog???

 

[Talkenlate04]

I did not say that your Ts are going to get nematodes every time you feed frogs. But the risk is there and very real. You may get away with 20-30 feedings like I did, and on the 31st feeding infect your T and kill it. To me knowing that is a possibility makes it far from worth it.

 

[P. Novak]

tarantulas will eat anything smaller or about the same size IMO and IME, that does not mean it's good or bad for them though.

There have also been sitings and recording of Ts and frogs cohabbiting in the wild.

 

[sick4x4]

i wouldn't feed my t's wc frogs for fear of parasites to.... sooo take some of the suggestions above and dont do it....but for cb raised frogs?? heck ya...much better then mice in my opinion!!!but these are hard to come by unless you know someone that raises them....

i do like the idea of offering different food items every once in awhile especially for my breeding females and have given them a wide assortment of wc prey items but with frogs and their ability to retain a good deal of toxins and parasites, its a gamble im not willing to take...now if i lived in an area where i know they wouldn't get expossed to such things:? maybe but i'd still be cautious....

i'd love to see more research on the topic though....and would love to hear more of the other hobbyists experiences on the topic