# frogs n snails



## AndyJY (Jul 30, 2009)

could a frog digest a snail shell and all mainly a vietnamese blue or has anyone experience of any of a similar size eating snails????


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## AndyJY (Jul 30, 2009)

ive always liked snails and put 1 in my viv a thought they were meant to be slow lol it has covered more areas in the viv than everything else cool as :lol2: snail rules :lol2:


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## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

AndyJY said:


> could a frog digest a snail shell and all mainly a vietnamese blue or has anyone experience of any of a similar size eating snails????


In answer to the question, most of my frogs and toads are happy to eat small snails- the shells seem to be passed (usually broken up) in the droppings without any problems. if you 'dissect' wild or newly caught frog's droppings they usually contain shells and hard insect parts.


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## Morgan Freeman (Jan 14, 2009)

Would a CB frog go for snails?


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## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

Yup- Cb or wild-caught, if it moves and it fits in the mouth...

Ground-living frogs probably eat more of them naturally, but my tree frogs seem quite happy to take them.


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## AndyJY (Jul 30, 2009)

thanks  i was just worried about whether they could digest a shell or not : victory:


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## knighty (Feb 27, 2008)

hard shelled inverts such as snails should be avoided with most species as hard cased inverts can prove dificult to digest. large species such as horned frogs will take them comfortably but they should be avoided with smaller more delicate frogs such as red eye tree frogs. after all the shell is designed for protection and frogs cant chew they just swallow

my advice would be not to offer them and stick to foods that are more commonly used.


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## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

Again can only go by my own experience- but never had a problem. You could always try slugs instead! ;-)


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## knighty (Feb 27, 2008)

Ron Magpie said:


> Again can only go by my own experience- but never had a problem. You could always try slugs instead! ;-)



thats cool, i am only base my posts on my own experiences over the years, what i have read in books, and a couple of conversations with a few very reconised people in this area (no i aint going to name drop).

most people will have slightly different experiences when keeping amphibians, the trick is to distiguish between regular ocurances and a one offs. i dedicate alot of my time into amphibian research not only because i am highly interested, but to advance my level of knowledge so as i can construct more papers, improve any dated husbandary techniques and to gain a better understanding of these animals behaviour and life styles out side of the exo terra confinments.

slugs i cant see a problem with, just make sure the are bred for the live food industry and not taken from ya garden. if people will insist on catching theer own foods then make sure they are well gutloaded and quarentined first.


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## Morgan Freeman (Jan 14, 2009)

I can imagine slugs and snails being very fatty anyway, I guess if you did use them they should be used sparingly in the same way a pinky would be?


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## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

Same as anything else really- I like to vary what I feed my animals as much as possible. More interesting for them (supposing they can develop an interest lol) and more 'balanced' too.


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## knighty (Feb 27, 2008)

Ron Magpie said:


> Same as anything else really- I like to vary what I feed my animals as much as possible. More interesting for them (supposing they can develop an interest lol) and more 'balanced' too.


i totally agree, i ty my best to provide a staedy but varied diet. the most common foods i offer are locusts, moths, flys, wax worms and the occasional meal worm beetle. i have tried other sources such as earth worms but never had that much response. i think that other than mating feeding is there only other interest, pretty good life if you ask me.....


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## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

My ground-living frogs tend to like earthworms- never really tried with the treefrogs.


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