Amphibian nutrition — live-prey feeding, supplements, and dusting/gut-loading
Verbatim first-hand facts from Merck Veterinary Manual — Amphibians (saved first-hand text). Each bullet is an exact substring of the cited source and C1-substring verified (second-round nutrition broadening, reusing saved Merck source).
Nutritional facts
- Although most adult terrestrial and aquatic amphibians feed on invertebrates, including earthworms, bloodworms, black worms, white worms, tubifex worms, springtails, fruit flies, fly larvae, mealworms, and crickets.
- Some amphibians feed on vertebrates and require live minnows, guppies, goldfish, or neonatal mice or rats.
- Vitamin and mineral supplements are necessary to prevent nutritional disease.
- These are commonly administered by gut loading insects, using commercially available diets high in calcium or by coating insects with powdered, multiple-vitamin preparations that include vitamin D 3 and calcium (also known as dusting).