Criptic's Page On Herps - Amphibians - General Care

Most frogs and toads rely on their sight to hunt and prey, which means they rely on movement. Salamanders and caecilians rely on smell.

Foods for newly metamorphosed, juvenile, and small amphibians

This section is intended for frogs one inch and smaller, and salamanders and caecilians up to two inches.

	Fruitflies
	Fruitflies are a mainstay for anyone keeping small amphibians, or breeding then raising juveniles. There are two types of cultures available, winged and flightless.

Most pet stores will carry starter cultures, or you may obtain them through a bio-supply house. You may increase their nutritional value by making the following medium:

	15 grams oatmeal
	10 grams agar jelly
	5 grams sugar
	5 ml of multivitamins
	150 ml of water

Stir the ingredients into a fine paste and boil. While hot, pour into a glass jar until one inch deep. Push a clean stick into the paste. When the paste cools add twenty or thirty flies. Cover with a coffee filter and secure with a rubber band. Keep the culture at 74 F. Over a two to three week period, two hundred to five hundred flies will be produced. Use all as food except twenty or so, to start a new culture. In an emergency, you may leave a rotting banana out

Aphids, blackflies, whiteflies

These are seasonal food available in late spring to early fall. Check the stalks of stinging nettles, bramble, and roses for aphids. White flies can be found on the underside of cauliflower, cabbage, and broccoli leaves. Blackflies occur later in the year, amidst freezing weather. They settle on the dying or dead leaves of apple trees and late vegetables.

Field plankton

This is used to refer to any small insect obtained by sweeping a fine net in the tall grass of a field. Make sure the field has not been sprayed or treated.

Termites

Termites are accepted by many frogs and toads. They are slow-moving and soft bodied. Obtaining termites may be difficult, but pet stores specializing in herps may carry them.

Whiteworms

These are one to three cm white thread like worms. You can obtain as a starter culture pack from a pet store or bio-supply house You can feed the culture small strips of bread soaked in milk. Keep the culture in a cool, dark, place of 55 F. Use tweezers to remove them and feed them to your animals

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