What do Pacman Frogs Eat? Best Food for Horned Frogs

Pacman frogs are amazing little pets for all beginners. They are not needy and do not require a lot of your time, especially during the day. Additionally, they are super simple to feed.

But what do Pacman frogs eat in the first place? Here is an article to help all new owners with preparing the ideal diet plan, including the best food for Horned frogs.

Pacman frogs are insectivores, which means that their basic food are insects, from which they are getting the necessary nutrients. They feed during the night, so the best feeding time is later in the evenings.

Baby and younger Pacmans which have still not reached their full-size need to be fed daily. Their tiny bodies are still evolving so it is essential for them to get food on a regular basis. Once they become adults, feeding them once or twice per week is more than enough.

It is essential for the owners to make sure that their tiny pets are getting not only nutritious food, but also the right amounts of such food.

Indeed, Pacman frogs are known to be quite the ferocious funny eaters, so they can basically eat whatever comes around their terrarium. This makes following the right guidelines crucial to avoid obesity and, consequentially, an unhealthy life.

Before moving on, it is imperatively important to point out that Pacmans need to always have fresh water available. Not for drinking really, but for soaking their bodies instead.

Make sure the bowl is shallow but large enough for your entire Pacman to sit in it easily. This is how they absorb moisture and keep their skin healthy.

Now that basic requirements for a healthy feeding process are clearly defined, let us proceed to the best food for Horned frogs.

Best Food for Pacman Frogs

As already mentioned, these colorful and funny creatures are insectivores. They can feed on a balanced combination of available insects, and here follows a list of the absolute best.

• Silkworms: Silkworms are a great source of protein for frogs, and owners love them because they are super easy but also quick to grow. Silkworms make one of those meals which can be offered to frogs on a semi-regular basis.
• Mealworms: This kind of worms are to be offered to frogs every now and then, more as a treat than a regular source of food.
• Waxworms: Similar to mealworms, waxworms make a real tasty occasional treat for frogs. This particular type of worm is quite small but super rich with fat, so a maximum of five waxworms per week is recommended (for an adult Pacman).
• Dubia Roaches: Dubia roaches surely make one of the basic parts of every frog diet. They are extremely high in nutrients and are softer when compared to crickets, which brings to an easier digestion.
• Earthworms: Earthworms, such as nightcrawlers, are one of the favorite feeding options both for owners and frogs. They are super rich with necessary nutrients and minerals, and are extremely soft. Additionally, owners can easily find them in every better pet shop.
• Gut-Loaded Crickets: Finally, gut-loaded crickets are another part of the basic diet plan of every frog, along with dubia roaches and earthworms. Gut-loaded crickets are especially abundant in proteins and other important nutrients.

Nonetheless on the insects you decide to feed your Pacman with, it is important to always offer them healthy and balanced quantities of food.

If your frog is not buried during feeding time, it is best for you to use tweezers or tongs when feeding it, to avoid unpleasant situations or bites.

On the other side, if your frog does not seem to want a meal before you go to sleep, simply place some food in their terrarium and leave it there. If there is any insect left alive in the morning, it is good to remove it from the terrarium, as that probably means that what is left was too much of a meal.

Pacman Frog Supplements and Vitamins

As most animals which live in captivity instead of their natural habitats, Pacmans also need a regular dose of supplement of vitamins to live a healthy and happy life.

The main supplements that owners need to ensure for their frogs are calcium and vitamin D.

Calcium makes sure that their tiny bones grow strong and healthy, and it helps extremely to prevent metabolic bone disease, which is unfortunately a quite often disease for all cold-blooded animals which live in terrariums. Vitamin D3 helps their small, rounded bodies to absorb calcium.

Zoo Med Reptile Calcium is an amazing product which offers both calcium and vitamin D3 supplements and we highly recommend it. It comes in the form of powder, which makes it so simple to apply to food.

Such product offers basically a complete source of supplements for frogs and it does not need any further mixing with other supplements. The best part is that it can easily be found online and is pretty affordable.

How Much Calcium Do Pacman Frogs Need?

The best way to find that out is to always follow the exact instructions of each food supplement producer. Depending on the mixed vitamins, calcium quantities can vary from product to product. Also, calcium needs can vary a lot depending on frog size, age, and their general well-being.

However, a generally applied rule is to offer calcium to your adult frog during every second feeding.

Zoo Med Reptile Calcium suggests feeding approximately twelve calcium-enriched crickets for every 2,5 ounces of body weight on a weekly basis. The simplest way to do that is to place just a bit of calcium powder in a bag.

After that, add crickets to that bag, close it and shake it. That way, all crickets will have the same amounts of food supplement on them. Your frog should feed immediately after dusting the crickets.

Can Packman Frogs Eat Pinky Mice?

Pinky mice make a great source of protein for various kinds of cold-blooded animals.

Generally, Pacman frogs can eat pinky mice, too. However, owners need to be extremely careful when doing so.

For instance, never ever feed your Pacman with pinky mice if they are not quite smaller than the frog itself. This is actually a general rule when feeding Pacmans – they will often try to swallow whatever they see moving around their terrariums but can sometimes choke on food if it is too large.

Secondly, pinky mice can be offered to adult Pacmans only. Not just because of their size, but also because mice are abundant in proteins.

Pinky mice are one of those food choices that must be given only occasionally, and never regularly. Too much protein can cause serious damage to your frog, including liver failure.

If you are not an experienced amphibian owner, it is maybe better to avoid feeding your frog with such food, as it does require a lot of attention.

Can Packman Frogs Eat Feeder Fish?

Not only they can, but they also should feed with feeder fish every now and then. It seems that such meals are actually one of the favorite meals of Pacman frogs, so why not provide them such happiness occasionally?

The only thing you should be extremely careful about is to buy feeder fish from those pet stores which you trust completely. Breeders can often place too many fish in one tank, which can cause for such fish not only to be unhealthy, but also to carry various types of bacteria.

To avoid your pet frog getting some unwanted parasite or disease, please make sure that feeder fish come from a trusted breeder, as well as from an impeccably clean tank.

Is Dried Food Good for Pacman Frog?

In general, feeding your Horned frog with dried food is fine, but this should not be their main source of food.

Pacmans are naturally little hunters, and they love waiting for their prays and to then grab them without any warning. And this is something that can simply be not achieved with dried food- don’t you agree?

However, having some dried food in your home is always recommended. That way, a feeding source for frogs is always handy. Dried food makes an excellent replacement during those days when you run out of live food and you do not feel like driving to the pet store.

Dried food contains all the necessary nutrients and vitamins, so there is no need to worry that your Pacman would not be getting everything it needs. But, once again, it is always better to feed frogs with live food. They simply love it more, and it mimics well their natural way of feeding.

Wrapping Up

What do Pacman frogs eat? Well, a bit of almost any kind of insects: from regular crickets, nightcrawlers and dubia roaches, to occasional waxworms and mealworms.

The important is that the best food for Horned frogs offers the right amounts of protein and other necessary nutrients. Also, another super important thing is to provide calcium and vitamin supplements to your frog.

Following these guidelines, along with maintaining a clean and warm environment, your little Pacman pet should live a long and happy life.