Leopard frogs are opportunistic and indiscriminate feeders, consuming a broad range of prey depending on their life stage and what is available in their environment.
Tadpoles (larval stage):
- Primarily herbivorous
- Eat algae, phytoplankton, plant tissue, organic debris, and detritus
- May occasionally ingest small invertebrates or scavenged meat[1][2][3][4].
Adult and Juvenile Leopard Frogs:
- Primarily carnivorous
- Major food sources include:
- Insects (crickets, beetles, ants, flies, leafhoppers, insect larvae)
- Other invertebrates (spiders, earthworms, slugs, snails, pillbugs, mollusks, crustaceans)
- Opportunistically consume small vertebrates:
- Other frogs (including juveniles of their own species)
- Occasionally small birds, voles, and small snakes (such as garter snakes), especially by larger individuals[5][6][7][1][8][3][4].
Feeding Behavior:
- Sit-and-wait predators: Leopards frogs wait for prey to come close, then leap to capture it using their strong hind legs[5][7][3].
- Forage day and night: They are active hunters both during the day and at night[7].
In summary, while adult leopard frogs feed mainly on insects and other small invertebrates, they are known to eat anything of suitable size that moves, including occasionally small vertebrates. Tadpoles mainly graze on algae and plant material[9][1][2].
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- https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/northern-leopard-frog
- https://www.nps.gov/articles/northern-leopard-frog.htm
- https://www.env.gov.bc.ca/wld/frpa/iwms/documents/Amphibians/a_northernleopardfrog.pdf
- https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Lithobates_pipiens/
- https://www.ontwf.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/NorthernLeopardFrog.pdf
- https://www.in.gov/dnr/fish-and-wildlife/wildlife-resources/animals/northern-leopard-frog/
- https://www.env.gov.bc.ca/wld/documents/northernleopard.pdf
- https://extension.colostate.edu/northern-leopard-frogs/
- https://ontarionature.org/programs/community-science/reptile-amphibian-atlas/northern-leopard-frog/
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