Frogs, toads, and other amphibians eating bees and stinging insects on a regular basis. Bees provide all of the essential nutrients that a frog needs in order to live a happy and healthy life.
Bees also live in hives which means that frogs can hunt for them a little easier than they can more solitary insects. The larvae of bees and hornets are also packed full of nutrients and easy targets for frogs you can get to them.
Frogs even have specialized adaptations that allow them to hunt bees. Their tongues are fast and sticky which allow them to catch these insects right out of the air. Frogs have also evolved greater resistance to the venom found in insects than mammals, including humans, have.
It might seem a little strange that a frog would attempt to eat a bee, but these amphibians have evolved to be more than up for the task. Let’s take a closer look at why, and how, frogs can go after these imposing meals.
Do Frogs Eat Bees?
Yes, frogs and toads tend to eat bees, wasps, and other stinging insects. Frogs are predators and this means they have to hunt and eat other animals in order to survive.
Frogs can survive on a diet that consists of insects, spiders, and even birds and small mammals. Frogs are able to eat bees thanks to some specialized adaptations in the frog’s tongue.
A frog can flick its tongue out faster than humans can blink. The tongue of a frog isn’t like the tongue of a person because it is connected at the front of the lower jaw rather than the back of the throat.
Frog tongues are also 10 times softer than human tongues which means that they wrap around insects rather than letting them bounce away. Frogs also have specialized saliva that helps them to catch their prey.
This saliva in a frog’s tongue is known as a non-Newtonian fluid which means that it can change its viscosity, or stickiness, depending on the circumstances.
When the Frog’s tongue hits a bee, its saliva first flows around the bee and then becomes sticky which helps keep the bee stuck to the tongue. Frogs are able to eat bees, spiders, and a variety of other insects that would be dangerous for mammals to eat.
Why Do Frogs Eat Bees?
Every animal eats a varied diet full of different types of foods in order to get the nutrients that they need. This is also true for frogs who have to meet their nutritional requirements based on the insects and other small animals that they can catch.
Bees play an important role in the diets of many frogs and toads because they provide these nutrients as well as an easy way for the frog to hunt its prey.
The biggest reason that a frog will eat a bee is because it’s hungry. This might seem a little simplistic at first, but it actually demonstrates the difficulty of getting the nutrients you need out in the wild.
A frog can’t simply go to the grocery store and get a multivitamin which means it needs to go out hunting every day to find the food it needs to survive.
Bees are an excellent source of protein and other nutrients for frogs even though they pose a greater risk than other insects.
Bees can also be surprisingly easier to hunt than a variety of other types of insects.
Bees swarm in mass and they tend to live in centralized colonies which makes them an easy target for frogs who can sit outside the entrance of these colonies and catch a bee that happens to be flying by.
The larvae of bees and wasps are also surprisingly vulnerable to frogs and this is because these larvae don’t have any defenses of their own which means that they rely on the rest of the colony to keep them safe.
Bees can be a fast and convenient source of nutrition for frogs even though there is some risk of being stung in the process.
Is There Any Nutritional Benefit Of A Frog Eating A Bee?
It might surprise you to learn that there are actually nutritional benefits to eating bees, well for frogs and toads anyway.
These amphibians need to hunt a variety of insects in order to meet the nutritional requirements they need to reach in order to stay alive.
Frogs hunt down a variety of insects because they provide these essential nutrients which often include proteins, fats, and other things that the frog needs to stay alive. Frogs can also get a lot of nutrition from eating the larvae of bees and hornets.
Frogs need a lot of the same nutrients to stay alive that other animals, even humans, require. Frogs need fats, proteins, and vitamins in order to keep their bodies healthy.
While bees aren’t going to be at the top of the list of any restaurant’s menu, they do cover all of these nutritional requirements for frogs. Frogs even have specialized adaptations that allow time to resist the effects of Apitoxin, or the poison that bees use when they sting.
There is some recent scientific research that suggests that there are proteins in the bodies of frogs that make them more resilient to common venom’s found in insects.
This includes Apitoxin which can be a serious threat to humans who are often allergic to this particular chemical. This is one of the reasons that allows frogs to eat bees without the same kind of risk that a person would face if they tried the same thing.
We also have to point out the fact that larvae are easy prey and a great source of vitamins and fats for amphibians.
Conclusion
The next time someone asks you “Do frogs eat bees?” you can let them know that the answer is a resounding yes. Frogs, toads, and other amphibians eat bees and stinging insects in order to get the nutrients they need to stay alive. Frogs also have special adaptations that allow them to overcome the venom and stinging that bees use to fight back. Bee larvae are also a prime choice for the diet of any frog.
