Frog Legs -- Safe or not?

[Sonya610]

My local grocery store often carries frog legs. I have read that is pretty safe as it is sold for human consumption and pretty clean. Was planning to buy a few and keep them in the freezer, then chop up little bits for the babies.

Never heard this mentioned before on the board. Does that sound reasonably safe? Right now they are on pinky and silversliders only.

[guidofatherof5]

Since you are going to freeze them first, I would say they are fairly safe.
Being sold for human comsumption doesn't mean anything. The salmon I bought had worms.

[Sonya610]

Since you are going to freeze them first, I would say they are fairly safe.
Being sold for human comsumption doesn't mean anything. The salmon I bought had worms.

Yeah most salmon has worms. I have already fed fresh raw salmon AND raw trout. I remember ages ago in a thread Richard said snakes get the parasites from the intestines and NOT from the muscle tissue itself (the way people and other mammals do from sushi and such that isn't frozen).

I am figuring these frogs were probably wild caught (maybe there are frog farms, I dunno) and worry about toxins too. I am just paranoid about most fish now (except silversliders) and worry if frogs are just as bad. Course I eat a shameful amount of tuna each week, but hey a little lead poisoning can't do much more than further my insanity, it won't kill me.

[ConcinusMan]

I remember ages ago in a thread Richard said snakes get the parasites from the intestines and NOT from the muscle tissue itself .

Maybe I wasn't clear. I was referring to the type of tapeworms that infect reptiles and birds as their target final host. They start their lives as larvae living in the guts of fish or amphibians and this is the only way for them to infect a reptile. Swallowing the egg of this type of tape worm won't do it. The snake must swallow the live larvae which lives inside the intestines of the fish or frog.

Worm eggs can certainly be all over fillet. The thing is whether or not swallowing the egg will be enough to cause infection. That all depends on the type of worm, and the type of animal (warm blooded or cold blooded) doing the swallowing. I still think that live adult pinworms aren't an issue. I think they will get digested. However, the eggs will survive to pass through the lower intestines, where they will certainly hatch and live. This wouldn't work for certain tape worms since they need to hatch and live as larvae in an intermediate host first.

As for the frog legs, I would certainly deep freeze them for at least 60 days. Most frog legs intended for human consumption are raised on farms where they inspect and control things like parasites. Probably wouldn't hurt one bit to nuke them until they're hot, let them cool, then feed them to your snakes. Just as a precaution.

[RedSidedSPR]

I'd say it's safe... if you freeze.. but what do i know?

Is there another frog source that's safer? Does anyone know of a safe amphibian source?

[Sonya610]

I'd say it's safe... if you freeze.. but what do i know?

Is there another frog source that's safer? Does anyone know of a safe amphibian source?

After a bit of googling it appears most are wild caught in Indonesia or other Asian countries (which means frozen in an industrial freezer which is good parasite wise). I can ask where they came from at the store but I am getting worried about pesticides and other toxins. Sheesh if fish seems worrisome frog legs from Indonesia can't be any better.

Maybe will just stick with pinkies and silversliders for now.

[infernalis]

Just so ya all know, Frog legs are chopped off the frog while it is still alive, and the legless torso is thrown into the trash to die slow.

Frog leg industry fact....

Some restaurants have discontinued frog legs from the menu due to inhumane harvesting techniques.

[ConcinusMan]

I think they would be fine, honestly. I've talked to Dr. Robert Mason about this before. He's a professor of zoology, specifically heavily involved in studying garter snakes. He has his own lab and everything at OSU. He says it's perfectly safe to feed your garter snakes WC frogs even if they have parasites, provided you freeze them at 0 degrees F or colder, for at least 60 days. I have a dedicated full size freezer, mainly for vacuum sealed meat. It fluctuates between -3 and about +3 degrees F. I think that would work just fine.

[Sonya610]

Just so ya all know, Frog legs are chopped off the frog while it is still alive, and the legless torso is thrown into the trash to die slow.


Oh good lord! I read some articles that said don't eat frogs they are endangered etc... but NONE said THAT!!! That is beyond horrid!

Okay I will forget about that idea.

[snakeman]

Snakes need whole prey animals.legs only would not be enough.

[RedSidedSPR]

It would have to be like fillet. Not a main diet.

[Sonya610]

Snakes need whole prey animals.legs only would not be enough.

They are primarily eating pinkies with silver sliders occasionally to add some variety. No worms or other fish right now.

Just thought for some added variety frog legs might be nice occasionally but won't buy them now that I know how they are killed.

[RedSidedSPR]

That's enough me not want to feed them, let alone eat them

[ConcinusMan]

Snakes need whole prey animals.legs only would not be enough.


True, but I still feed them fillet as part of their diet. It's still food.

[RedSidedSPR]

Pretty tasty too :p

[ConcinusMan]

Not really.

[RedSidedSPR]

I know i hate them. They suck. Taste like crap

[infernalis]

good stuff................

The Problem With Frog Legs (http://www.savethefrogs.com/actions/frog-legs/index.html)

*************************


The trade in wild-caught frogs has been driving frog populations to near extinction since the 19th century, when the Californian gold miners decimated populations of California Red-Legged Frogs (Rana draytonii) in the 1800's.

Sure the tetrataenia appreciated that:mad:

[ConcinusMan]

Well I don't know if the tetrataenia appreciate it or not, but the concinnus' around my area couldn't care less. They chow down on the bullfrogs (and their larvae) instead. As far as the pacific northwest goes, the damage was done long ago. Still, red legged frogs aren't endangered here. Sure, they declined severely and all but disappeared where bullfrogs have taken over and I get your point, but the introduction of canary grass would have done the same, even if bullfrogs weren't present.

So, bullfrogs can live in habitat where canary grass chokes the habitat, but red legged frogs cannot. The concinnus still thrive. If it wasn't for the canary grass tolerant bullfrogs replacing the red legged frogs, I'm sure the snakes would have declined but they haven't. They thrive in the canary grass choked wetlands, feeding primarily on bullfrogs.

It's just too bad that tetrataenia couldn't make that adjustment.

[Didymus20X6]

A thorough exposition on the frog legs industry:

55efFQoR3BM

[infernalis]

Pretty tasty too :p


I know i hate them. They suck. Taste like crap

http://www.thamnophis.co/images/question.jpg

[kibakiba]

Could be sarcasm, or perhaps like me, I hate things when I'm in a certain mood, love them when in another.

[Stefan-A]

good stuff................

The Problem With Frog Legs (http://www.savethefrogs.com/actions/frog-legs/index.html)

*************************



Sure the tetrataenia appreciated that:mad:
This post right here.

I'd rather support eating panda legs, than frog legs. At least the panda population is on the increase.

[snakehill]

Had to look that one up! (tetrataenia):o

[infernalis]

This post right here.

I'd rather support eating panda legs, than frog legs. At least the panda population is on the increase.


New York state recently excavated several ponds/man made wetlands on state property for the specific purpose of frog habitats.

and I still do everything I can for amphibian preservation on my parcel.

[RedSidedSPR]

Could be sarcasm, or perhaps like me, I hate things when I'm in a certain mood, love them when in another.

Actually, i've only tried it once, and barely remember it, but i didn't like it.

[snakehill]

What, eating frogs legs or Panda legs?:rolleyes:

[RedSidedSPR]

Both :D

Just frogs.

[Didymus20X6]

Some people may like eating frogs legs, other people may not. But there's one thing for certain: the frogs don't like it.

[ConcinusMan]

This post right here.

I'd rather support eating panda legs, than frog legs. At least the panda population is on the increase.

By that reasoning we shouldn't be eating farmed fish because the wild stock is in severe trouble.:rolleyes: These are farmed bullfrog legs. Usually imported from South American farms, where bullfrogs don't belong in the first place. Bullfrog farming is of course, how they got into my area of the country, and many other places where they are invasive and destructive to native frogs.

[Stefan-A]

By that reasoning we shouldn't be eating farmed fish because the wild stock is in severe trouble.:rolleyes:
Not even close.


These are farmed bullfrog legs. Usually imported from South American farms, where bullfrogs don't belong in the first place. Bullfrog farming is of course, how they got into my area of the country, and many other places where they are invasive and destructive to native frogs.
By buying them, you encourage farming where they don't belong.

[ConcinusMan]

Well just the opposite happened here in the Northwest. They were originally brought here around the year 1900 by people that thought they would get rich farming them. Well, the global prices dropped so severely that most farmers abandoned the farms or simply released them. Now, if there was significant demand, that would encourage harvesting pressure on these non native populations, but that's not happening.

There is some harvesting done here in the U.S. even within the frogs native range. It still isn't causing the numbers to drop. It simply keeps them from increasing in numbers.

I highly doubt that bullfrogs are in any sort of decline. Harvesting is needed in some areas to control the population. They were already introduced long ago into areas where they don't belong. They will remain there whether we buy them or not. At least if we buy them, they get harvested.

I guess my point is, by buying them in modern times we are certainly not encouraging them to be farmed where they don't belong. The damage there was done more than a century ago. By buying them now, we only encourage that they get harvested where they already exist.

I don't see a dang thing wrong with harvesting bullfrogs. We could sure do without them in the Pacific Northwest.

[Starling96]

I agree.
Ive found some that have baby red ear sliders in there stomach!
they litterally eat anything that goes in front of them