08/16/2026
Frogs & Toads have much in common. Both are such diverse groups that the line dividing the two can be a fuzzy one. Yet the contrast in feeding methods between African Green Toads and Solomon Island Leaf Frogs is dramatic indeed.
Oliver, my green toad. Takes her time approaching a mealworm. She tilts her head and observes before striking. Opening her mouth just enough for her tongue to slip through and pull the worm inside.
On the opposite end of the scale we have Scout, one of my two male leaf frogs. Upon spotting a cricket, he immediately hurls himself from the spot he's been waiting. Throwing his jaw all the way open to ensure he seizes his target. This clip is in fact a less dramatic example of his species' hunting instinct. These frogs can and do fling themselves across the length of their enclosure in pursuit of prey.
Both methods have their ups and downs. For all her care in sneaking up. I've seen Oliver miss her target surprisingly often. However, she doesn't have to worry about getting leaves stuck in her mouth like the leaf frogs do.
Seemingly because of their propensity for getting leaves along with their food. I've seen that leaf frogs will often not swallow captured prey immediately. Sitting still for upwards of a minute with a still-squirming cricket limb poking out of their maw before finally pushing it down. Only sometimes pausing to remove any inedible matter first.
