The idea of ducks feeding on frogs may disturb you but they do eat frogs.
Ducks feed on an expansive variety of edible things. However, what they normally feed on are little underwater animals, fishes, and insects.
Nonetheless, you might have doubts concerning the fact that ducks feed on frogs; this is understandable.
When ducks are in lakes, nothing prevents them from doing so. Ducks always attempt to feed on whatever seems edible to them.
Ducks also feed on other little animals without hesitation. There exists, much variety of ducks such as the White Pekin duck, Mallard ducks, and others.
When ducks are hungry, they can eat virtually anything.
Do Ducks Eat Frogs and Toads?
Ducks indeed feed on frogs, irrespective of what you might have heard or seen in many places, the fact is, they will feed on frogs without a moment of hesitation or thought.
The habitat of ducks and frogs is both water and land, therefore they live and eat both on land and in water.
Seeing that ducks feed on a variety of food of both plant and animal origin, many species of ducks feed on little toads and frogs.
They do so when they are in short supply of what to eat.
Wild ducks prey on birds, little animals in lakes, and frogs. Ducks have an appetite for frogs, they continue to prey on frogs and toads this cycle is quite interesting.
Ducks generally do not care about what they eat, as long as what they eat is less than them in size, So size is the great determiner of what ducks eat.
If a duck is not too hungry, it would go for a little frog which it would gulp with ease.
Ducks are carpetbagger, flexible, inoffensive, and inquisitive; they do not select the food they consume, they just dig into anything. You can easily spot ducks preying on insects, fishes, and frogs.
This does not mean you should feed your ducks everything,
Edibles like crackers and bread do not benefit your duck in any way (it does not contain any nutrient for your duck).
So they result in nutritional deficiencies in ducks, deformities, and mal-nutrition if these poor nutrient foods are constantly eaten by ducks.
Other things ducks could feed on are oats, sliced grapes, frozen pea, birdseed, chopped lettuce, cracked corn, rice….. et cetera.
Can Ducks Eat Tadpoles?
Ducks enjoy feeding on tadpoles or the egg of frogs than adult frogs.
Matured frogs are hard to find and gulp, if gulped, it might make your duck suffocate as its size is too big for the duck to swallow.
Frogs release lots of eggs in which little numbers survive the period of gestation.
(Development period from the time of conception until birth) and later become tadpoles and some frogs.
Thus, tadpoles are much easier and there is no stress in swallowing them at all.
Tadpoles and the egg of frogs serve as a good meal for ducks.
Ducks can simply swallow them without suffocating to the point of death, thus, it is reasonable for them to hunt for tadpoles.
Since ducks primarily enjoy staying on the surface of the water, it won’t be difficult for them to prey on tadpoles since tadpoles also live in water.
When they are lots of tadpoles, they could also be preyed on by birds
Here is an article I wrote on feeding ducks with fries
Do Mallard Ducks Eat Frogs?
Mallard ducks do eat frogs. When discussing ducks that feed on frogs, it is not right to not acknowledge the Mallard ducks.
There is not a species of ducks that love to eat frogs as much as the Mallard ducks. They are always hungry for frogs and toads and they search for them continuously.
The botanical name for that duck is Anas Platyrhynchos. There are seen in almost all of the northern hemisphere.
People know more of the Mallard ducks and the genealogy of most species of tamed ducks.
In many regions of the world, those kinds of ducks have succeeded in adapting, by feeding on food in many city parks.
However, other species of ducks like Feral ducks and Barnyard ducks are fat and gawky animals, the genealogical muscovy (wild) duck is neatened, classy, cautious, strong-winged bird…
There are some of the wildest and cruel varieties of ducks and they prey on eggs, fishes, frogs, and tadpoles.
Mallards are also accredited for chasing their prey for a long time before getting it while other species do not.
Since they mostly feed on flesh, they look for diets rich in protein (at the time of nesting), meat….et cetera.
Female Mallard ducks are the breadwinners (they go in search of frogs) while the male Mallard plunders from the females.
Can Eating Frogs Harm Ducks?
Eating frogs could be harmful to ducks.
When a frog is frightened or is in danger, it secretes a poisonous fluid on the gland on the topmost layer of its skin to keep animals off it.
Since ducks don’t care, they just swallow the frog and later on develop certain problems.
Since frogs have many creatures trying to feed on them, they have a systematic pattern for protecting themselves.
Since ducks can dwell in both aquatic and terrestrial environments, it is not difficult for them to spot a frog when walking in a terrestrial environment and moving on water or ponds.
Frogs defend themselves by blending into close environments or entering water or ponds.
As stated before, one of their most clever strategies is the production of chemical properties on their skin that makes them taste bitter, and prevent them from serving as snacks for ducks and many other creatures.
Some protect themselves by getting on high trees on jumping with haste into ponds with the use of their potent back legs to jump away from predators.
Although, some researchers say it depends on the type of frog and the poison it secretes.
Do Pekin Ducks Eat Frogs?
All ducks feed on frogs, including Pekin ducks.
The White Pekin is a trained duck of the American species, which was reared for the sole purpose of food.
The Pekin ducks originated in China before it was taken to the United States in the nineteenth century and are now reared in many regions of the world.
Ducks can and will feed on frogs including any little creature living in freshwater especially brightly colored ocean fishes, animals living in lakes….et cetera.
Will Eating Frogs Cause Ducks to Choke
Frogs could cause ducks to choke but it solely depends on the size of the frog.
If the frog is a big one, the duck might suffocate to death while trying to swallow it.
That is why ducks go for smaller creatures in the ponds first like tadpoles, fishes, insects…. et cetera, before going in search of frogs.
Other smaller creatures which are much little than frogs and less harmful to ducks are the best edible creatures for them.
Ducks know the kind of size they can take in, so there is no need to worry much about your duck choking.
Ducks hunt independently for food, apart from what their owners give to them.
Conclusions
Ducks will always prey on frogs if they are given the opportunity to. The Diet of a duck is very unique and uncertain as to their behavior, thus, frogs are a very welcomed addition to their diet.
