Pacman frogs are voracious eaters that can be a joy to feed. Their huge appetites and lightning fast strikes make feeding time an exciting event. However, with their enthusiastic eating comes the responsibility to feed them properly. An improper diet can lead to health issues in your frog down the road.
In this complete guide, we will cover everything you need to know about feeding your Pacman frog. We’ll discuss what they can and can’t eat, how much to feed, supplements, and more. Follow these tips and your Pacman frog will thrive on a healthy, nutritious diet.
What Do Pacman Frogs Eat?
Pacman frogs are carnivorous and will eat just about anything they can fit in their mouths. In the wild they eat insects arachnids, worms, slugs, snails, tadpoles, and even small reptiles and mammals.
For pet Pacman frogs, it’s best to feed them a variety of insects and worms. Good staples include:
- Crickets
- Mealworms
- Superworms
- Hornworms
- Nightcrawlers
- Dubia roaches
You can also offer treats like pinky mice shrimp, boiled eggs, and feeder fish on occasion. Avoid wild-caught insects as these can carry parasites.
It’s important to feed prey items that are not too large for your frog to swallow. As a general rule, do not feed anything wider than the space between your frog’s eyes. Frogs have teeth on their upper jaw that point inward – if an item is too big it can get lodged in their throats.
How Much and How Often to Feed
The amount and frequency of feeding will depend on the age and size of your frog:
-
Babies: Feed every 2-3 days, offering as much as they will eat in 10-15 minutes.
-
Juveniles: Feed every 2-4 days, offering as much as they will eat in 15-20 minutes.
-
Adult females: Feed 2-3 times per week, offering food equal to the width between the frog’s eyes.
-
Adult males: Feed 1-2 times per week, offering food equal to the width between the frog’s eyes.
Monitor your frog’s body condition and adjust feeding accordingly. Pacman frogs are prone to obesity, so don’t overfeed. A slightly plump frog is ideal – you should not see hip bones protruding.
Supplements
Dusting prey items with supplements is critical for your frog’s health. Calcium and vitamin D3 ensure proper bone development. A multi-vitamin provides essential nutrients.
Use calcium supplement at every feeding for juveniles, and every other feeding for adults. Use vitamin D3 supplement 1-2 times per month for all frogs. Use a multi-vitamin 1-2 times per month as well.
Lightly coat feeders in supplement powder right before feeding your frog. The supplements stick to the insect’s exoskeleton. This ensures your frog ingests the nutrients with its food.
Feeding Techniques
There are a few techniques you can use when feeding your Pacman frog:
-
Tong feeding: Use long tweezers or forceps to hold the feeder item and present it to your frog. This prevents accidental finger bites.
-
Dish feeding: Place prey items in a small dish inside your frog’s enclosure. Monitor to ensure all food gets eaten.
-
Free roaming: Release feeders into the enclosure and allow your frog to hunt them. Ensure you remove any uneaten prey.
Most owners prefer tong feeding as it gives them control over the feeding process. It also reduces the risk of feeders biting your frog as it eats.
What NOT to Feed Pacman Frogs
While Pacman frogs are eager eaters, there are some foods you should avoid feeding altogether:
- Wild-caught insects
- Anything wider than space between eyes
- Vertebrates larger than width of head
- Dog or cat food
- Hot dogs, lunch meat, bacon, sausage
- Insects from bait shops
- Fireflies
These items are either dangerous, unhealthy, or too large for a Pacman frog to eat. Stick to the recommended diet of healthy feeder insects.
Common Feeding Problems
Here are some common feeding issues seen in Pacman frogs:
-
Overeating: If your frog starts refusing food, gains weight rapidly, or becomes lethargic, it may be overfed. Reduce feeding frequency/amount.
-
Sudden disinterest in food: Can indicate illness, stress, or inappropriate temperatures in enclosure. Have your frog examined by an exotic vet.
-
Regurgitation: Occasional regurgitation of food is normal. Frequent regurgitation may indicate illness or feeding items that are too large.
-
Lunging at fingers: This is normal predatory behavior. Use tongs for safety.
-
Bloating: Can be caused by overfeeding, feeding treats too often, or poor husbandry. Have your frog examined by a vet.
-
Picky eating: Try switching up feeder insect types, sizes, or movement patterns. Make sure supplements are fresh.
With their enormous appetites, Pacman frogs are a delight to feed IF you follow proper nutrition guidelines. Provide a variety of healthy feeders at the right amounts and frequencies. Dust them with supplements to prevent deficiencies. Avoid overfeeding to prevent obesity and regurgitation issues. Employ safe feeding techniques like tongs. Follow these tips and feeding your Pacman frog will be smooth, easy, and rewarding. Both you and your frog will look forward to exciting feeding time!
Can you play with Pacman frogs?
This species of frog is not overly sociable. They do not enjoy regular interactions with people, are known for having a strong and painful bite, and cannot be picked up safely. So unfortunately, it is not recommended that you try to play with them.
Pacman Frog Species Overview
Pacman frogs are native to wet, humid jungles in South America. These frogs are named after Pac-Man®, a popular video game character, due to their round shape and large mouths.
Pacman frogs are also called “horned frogs” because the top of their head has a point over each eye, resembling two horns.
The Pacman frog has a large, stocky body. Fully grown adult Pacman frogs usually weigh between a half-pound and a pound. These frogs are available in a range of colors and patterns, including:
- Brown
- Green
- Red
- Orange
- Albino (pink and yellow)
Pacman frogs may change in appearance as they age.
Pacman frogs are somewhat inactive amphibians that will bury their bodies in substrate with only their eyes and “horns” visible, waiting to ambush predators. Generally, these frogs are nocturnal, more active at night than during the day. Pacman frogs are robust eaters, acclimate quickly to their habitat, and don’t need lots of space because they are not particularly active.
|
Difficulty of Care |
Beginner |
|
Average Lifespan |
10–15 years with proper care |
|
Average Adult Size |
Males 3–4” long; females 4–8” long |
|
Diet |
Carnivore |
|
Minimum Habitat Size |
10–20 gallons |
Due to their sharp teeth and propensity to bite, Pacman frogs are best observed rather than handled. Human skin also has bacteria and oils that amphibians can absorb through their delicate and porous skin, leading to infection and illness. When handling your frog, always use powder-free latex gloves moistened with dechlorinated water.
All frogs are potential carriers of infectious diseases, including Salmonella bacteria, which is zoonotic (transmittable to humans). Pet parents should always wash their hands before and after handling their frog or their habitat’s contents.
Pacman Frogs – Feeding and Basic Care Requirements – FAQ
FAQ
What do Pacman frogs like to eat?
A well-balanced and nutritious diet for a Pacman frog includes gut-loaded (recently fed) insects and worms, including crickets, Dubia roaches, and earthworms.
How long can my Pacman frog go without eating?
Pacman frogs go into brumation (hibernation) to escape harsh winter weather in the wild. They remain in brumation until conditions become more favorable such as warmer springtime temperatures. A Pacman can hibernate and go without eating for up to one month in captivity.
What should I Feed my pacman frog?
If there are uneaten insects in your frog’s enclosure after several hours, feed your frog fewer insects in the future. Dust invertebrate foods, such as crickets or roaches, with a vitamin and mineral supplement and feed to your juvenile Pacman frog two to three times weekly.
How much worms should a pacman frog eat?
Although PacMan frogs grow to be quite chubby, offer them a good diet to prevent obesity. Offering a Pacman frog 4 – 5 wax worms per week would be a good ratio. Wax worms are available at most pet stores and online retailers. Hornworms (also called Goliath worms) are another very good food item to offer a PacMan frog.
How often should I Feed my pacman frog?
Remove any uneaten food from the enclosure. Pacman frogs only need to be fed 2 to 3 times a week with live insects or worms. At the end of each feeding day, check the enclosure for any food that has gone uneaten. Remove any uneaten food from the tank to prevent it from rotting in your frog’s enclosure.