August 2026
Feeding Your Frog: A Food and Supplementation Guide
Key points:
- Different bird species vary significantly in lifespan, temperament, space requirements and care needs.
- Budgies are small, social and playful birds that benefit from regular interaction and enrichment.
- Pigeons are generally calm, affectionate birds that can form close bonds with their owners.
- Cockatiels are expressive, social birds that need plenty of interaction and time outside their enclosure.
- Quaker parrots are highly intelligent and require consistent handling, training and mental stimulation.
- Macaws are a significant long-term commitment due to their size, lifespan and extensive enrichment needs.
If you’ve recently adopted a frog, or are considering it, you’ve probably already asked yourself, “what do frogs eat?” Like any animal, frogs have specific nutritional needs, with a balance of live food and appropriate supplementation helping to keep them healthy.
Read on to learn about live and non-live food options, feeding frequency and when supplementation may be needed.
What to feed your frog
Live frog food options
So, what do pet frogs eat? Well, live insects will make up an important part of the diet for many species. Frogs have great peripheral vision and can see well in low light, but are very near-sighted, meaning feeding is often prompted by movement. Live frog food is important for providing appropriate nutrition while encouraging natural hunting behaviour.
Crickets are generally a convenient and popular option and require little preparation. They provide protein and fibre while giving your pet frog the hunting practice they’d naturally get in the wild.
When you get a box of live crickets, you can put them in the fridge for around five minutes before feeding to slow them down slightly. This makes it easier to select the right number for your frog. Use tweezers if needed, and only put as many in your frog’s enclosure as they’ll eat in one meal. You don’t want stray crickets leaping around once your frog is full.
Never collect insects from outdoors to feed your frog, as they may have been exposed to pesticides or carry parasites. Instead, get your frog’s food from a reliable source, such as your local Petstock store. Try offering some variety to avoid fussy eating, with occasional options such as mealworms in the mix.
Up the nutritional value of the crickets in your frog’s diet by storing a cricket calcium and gutload block in their container. The crickets eat the block, your frogs eat the crickets, and the result is less need to top up their diet with supplementation.
Non-live food options
Most of your frog’s diet should consist of suitable live food, but you may occasionally need or want to feed them by hand. If feeding by hand, use long tweezers to keep your fingers safely out of the way, and expect it to take a little practice to get your frog’s attention.
Because movement helps trigger hunting behaviour, gently moving the food nearby can encourage your frog to notice it. Freeze-dried insects such as worms or mealworms can be kept as a backup option when you’ve run low on live food. Follow the product directions for preparation before offering them to your frog.
How often to feed your frog
Your frog diet will vary depending on age and species. Doing some in-depth research can help you understand their needs, while avoiding overfeeding or underfeeding is important for maintaining a healthy body condition.
Juvenile frogs generally need to eat little and often while they’re growing, with more frequent meals than adults. Feeding frequency can then be reduced once they’re fully grown, although the exact schedule varies between species. Not sure how often to dish up food? Check in with your exotic vet for guidance.
Once you understand your frog’s usual behaviour, it becomes easier to tell whether you need to offer more or less. Give them an appropriate amount for one sitting and remove uneaten live insects afterwards, as crickets left in the enclosure may bite your frog.
Along with watching how much your frog eats, use their body condition as a guide. Being over or underweight may indicate that the amount, type or frequency of food needs adjusting.
Supplementing your frog’s diet and why it matters
Along with gut-loading live crickets, you may need to supplement your frog’s food with calcium and vitamin D3. Vitamin D3 helps frogs process calcium properly. Supplements can be dusted onto live insects or added to suitable non-live food, with requirements varying depending on species, diet and access to appropriate UVB lighting.
Supplementation is a careful balance: it can be necessary, but too much may also cause problems. If you’re unsure about the dosage or frequency for your frog’s species, check with your vet.
Ready to stock up on feeder insects and supplements for your frog? Shop Petstock's reptile and amphibian range online now.