Feeding question

[KephrenJorgensen]

In the caresheet it says that bullfrog legs may be used. I was wondering, considering the fact that removing bullfrogs from the wild in my area is widely accepted, would it be safe to feed frozen-thawed bullfrog portions/strips(provided care was taken to ensure bones are concealed)? They are readily availabe 8 months out of the year here. I usually do a trip in the summer and catch a couple hundred to give to the university and research center. But there may be more benefit to their removal than for science and the environment. :)

[thamneil]

I can't see any issues. I would think that any parasitic problems would be focused more towards the frogs body. Freezing would take care of any other nasties. You may even be able to feed the whole frog if you can figure out a way to deal with the parasites. I would think that freezing would work, but maybe someone with more experience could chime in.

[guidofatherof5]

Some studies show that it requires very cold temps to kill eggs and in some cases they still survive.

[Steveo]

Some studies show that it requires very cold temps to kill eggs and in some cases they still survive.

Yes, I believe -40F is considered the "safe temperature" when it comes to killing parasites. Consumer freezers don't get nearly that cold. Packing them in dry ice for a few days would achieve that temperature.

[KephrenJorgensen]

Would a deep-freeze be able to reach those temperatures? I would use just legs if using the whole frog would be more risky regarding parasites, I'd just need to find a good way of disposing of the rest of the bodies :P (Doesnt that sound pleasant). Would it be worth while to breed bullfrogs for the same purpose? It would be much safer regarding parasites if I took the parents to a vet.

[guidofatherof5]

No. In my opinion a standard, in-home freezer won't do the job.

[-MARWOLAETH-]

Maybe you could use the tadpoles. If removed from the parents there shouldn't be much parasite risk

[thamneil]

Bullfrogs aren't something that could be effectively bred indoors. Why not collect egg masses in the spring and raise your own? Seems like an easy way to get healthy frogs.

[KephrenJorgensen]

I have successfully bred bullfrogs and a couple other species in captivity. Where I live the eggmasses are so elusive. If I do find eggmasses they are lithobates clamitans or pseudacris regilla. I dont wan't to take from the green frogs because they are the main competitor with the bullfrog for the "dominant" true frog in the area, though they are also introduced. I do quite often come across pools of tadpoles in their first year that have been laid in the well of a fallen tree or small basins in a forest I herp in. The parents are never around in these pools, and the tadpoles definitely don't have the 2 years of water they need to mature. It'd be "out of the frying pan and into the fire" but I could probably use them feeling they are safe enough.