Do Frogs Eat Snakes? 11 Interesting Large Frog Species Facts

Anyone who happens to come across a frog eating a snake is bound to get startled. That is because we have been conditioned to view snakes as the hunters, and frogs as the prey. Thus, for most people, the idea of a frog eating a snake amounts to a reversal of roles. Read on, to find out whether frogs can indeed eat snakes – and if yes, what types of frogs eat snakes as well as what happens when a frog eats a snake.

Do frogs eat snakes? The larger species of frogs often have the ability to eat smaller snakes. But smaller frogs are usually incapable of eating snakes because the snakes are too big for them. It is the less venomous snake species that are eaten by the bigger frogs. Nonetheless, a giant frog will make an attempt at biting anything that happens to cross its path. And that could even include a two foot snake!

We will see in detail what frogs eat snakes, how do frogs eat snakes, why do frogs eat snakes and how to keep frogs and snakes as pets together in this article.

Do Frogs Eat Snakes?

Yes, frogs have the ability to eat snakes. But generally, it is the giant frog species that actually eat snakes. It is important to appreciate that there are certain frog species (for instance, the Goliath frog) that can grow up to 32 centimeters in length. For a frog that big, snake eating becomes a viable project. Once you understand that there are truly giant frogs out there, then idea of frog eating snake starts making sense.

Of course, incidents of frogs eating snakes tend to be quite rare. That is why any authentic frog eating snake video tends to become an instant sensation. Indeed, even a video of snake in frog mouth would usually trend immediately.

What are more common are instances of snake eating frog. If you were to post a video of a snake catching frog, most people would view it as quite a mundane video. But one, say, of bullfrog eating snake? That would be quite something.

Can Frogs Kill Snakes?

Yes. Frogs have the ability to kill snakes. Or to put it more accurately, some frogs have the ability to kill some snakes. There are two ways in which a frog may kill a snake.

The first scenario is where a frog ambushes a snake, pushes it down its throat, constricts it using its strong stomach muscles, and proceeds to digest it (before regurgitating the indigestible parts). Thus, some frog species do eat snakes – which answers the frequent question on do frogs eat snakes?

The second way in which a frog can kill a snake is where the snake happens to eat a frog that has toxic secretions on its skin. For instance, if a snake eats a poison dart frog, it may end up suffering a slow agonizing death. This would be on account of the toxic secretions from the frogs’ skin. Frogs are also known to bite snakes, but rarely do snakes die from such bites.

Do Frogs Eat Their Prey Alive?

An interesting question that typically comes up while discussing frog eating habits is on whether the frogs eat their prey alive. So, do frogs eat their prey alive? The answer is ‘yes’. They just swallow the whole body of the prey. Then they digest it over some time. The parts that are capable of being absorbed are subsequently absorbed. Those that are incapable of being absorbed are eventually regurgitated.

With regard to eating prey alive, frog and snake are alike: because snakes too typically swallow the whole prey body. Then they figure out what to do with it later.

Thus, if you have been trying to visualize how do frogs eat snakes, now you have something to work with. They do it by simply swallowing the snakes’ whole bodies, pushing them down their tummies, digesting them from there, and later regurgitating the bits that are not digestible.

Do All Frogs Eat Snakes?

Do all frogs eat snakes? The answer is no. Not all frogs are capable of eating snakes. It is usually only the truly big frog species that eat snakes. Even among the frog species that eat snakes, it will usually only be a truly big adult that will dare to tackle a snake.

Just think about it: can a toad eat a snake (given how big the typical snake is, and how big the typical toad is)? Once you start visualizing the scenarios, it becomes clear that you would need a truly big frog to eat a snake.

Do Bullfrogs Eat Snakes?

Bullfrogs tend to be mentioned frequently, whenever the do frogs eat snakes question is being dealt with. It is not hard to see why. Bullfrogs are, after all, among the biggest frog species. And if we assert that the frogs that eat snakes are only the ‘bigger’ ones, the bullfrogs (which are amongst the biggest frogs in the world) are naturally bound to come up.

So, do bullfrogs eat snakes? The answer yes. When they get a good chance, bullfrogs do eat snakes. Thus, in a discussion on what eats snakes, bullfrogs would definitely feature. Because a typical male bullfrog can grow up to 25 centimeters in length, it becomes possible for it to swallow a small snake without struggling too much.

Indeed, if you try to undertake some research on what do bullfrogs eat, you will realize that reptiles are among bullfrogs’ favorite dishes. And snakes, as we all know, are in that category of reptiles. Besides reptiles, bullfrogs also eat insects, rodents, fish and even small birds. More interestingly, they are also cannibalistic, which means that they also eat other frogs. Indeed, in the wild, the sight of bullfrog eating frog is quite common.

Do Green Tree Frogs Eat Snakes?

In the recent past, there have been several widely circulated photos of green tree frogs swallowing snakes. Indeed, many of the people who are posing the do frogs eat snakes question are doing so after having come across those photos. So, in trying to figure out what kind of frogs eat snakes, they wonder whether green tree frogs are in that category.

So, do green tree frogs eat snakes routinely (or are the photos fakes)? The answer is that green tree frogs have the ability to eat snakes. This is remarkable, when we consider the fact that green tree frogs are not really giant frogs. They typically grow to only about 10 centimeters. But they nonetheless have the ability to down small snakes.

Do Tree Frogs Eat Snakes?

While tree frogs do not routinely hunt for snakes, they won’t mind a chance to eat one if it happens to be easy prey. On the other hand, of course, a snake won’t mind an opportunity to eat a tree frog either. And as we all know, when there is a frog vs snake fight, it is usually the frog that ends up losing: whether it is a tree frog or any other species. Only on occasion does a frog win, and actually manage to eat a snake.

Do Green Frogs Eat Snakes?

Most green frogs don’t usually eat snakes. But the bigger species of green frogs will certainly eat a snake when they chance upon it under perfect conditions. Most green frogs prefer easier prey – things like insects that are easy to catch, swallow and digest.

Do Bullfrogs Eat Snakes?

Bullfrogs are capable of eating snakes. Therefore if you have been wondering what animal will eat a snake, now you know that a bullfrog is capable of doing so. This is particularly relevant if you have been at a loss on what eats snakes in under-water settings.

A bull frog vs snake fight can be an interesting sight. And sometimes, the bullfrog will emerge the winner, and proceed to enjoy its snake meal. Thus, when people ask do frogs eat snakes, the answer they are given is usually to the effect that some types of snakes – including the bullfrogs in question here – are capable of eating snakes.

An example of a bullfrog species that is likely to eat a snake with ease is the African bullfrog. As a matter of fact, some experts say that the African bullfrog eats everything that comes its way – as long as it is something that the bullfrog is capable of killing.

That is why the question on what do African bullfrogs eat tends to be so hard to answer in a precise manner. They eat such a wide variety of things: including, of course, snakes.

But it is important to remember that a bullfrog eating a snake is not such a straightforward affair. The snake is unlikely to go down without a fight. As a matter of fact, the African bullfrog vs snake fight can go either way.

And, this is something worth understanding for everyone with interest on the do frogs eat snakes issue. In most cases, the snake puts up a decent fight. Thus, while a frog eats mouse alive with relative ease, a snake is a different matter altogether.

Do Pond Frogs Eat Snakes?

A good number of the people who pose the do frogs eat snakes question tend to be folks with ponds that have frogs. So they wonder whether the frogs can help them in snake control. The truth of the matter, however, is that most pond frogs tend to be too small to be capable of confronting snakes. So what we tend to see instead are the snakes eating the pond frogs – not the other way round.

For sure, pond frogs for snakes are a delicacy. That is why a pond that has frogs is likely to attract snakes in due course. On the other hand, one may ask, do some frogs eat snakes? The answer is yes: but the small frogs we typically find in domestic ponds are unlikely to be in that category.

By the way, one may also ask, do snakes eat toads in ponds? The answer, interestingly, is mostly no. The snakes seem to prefer eating the bigger, mature frogs rather than toads that usually have poison on their skins. In any event, the toads tend to be so agile that they flee from the snakes easily. That is the  standard answer for anyone who poses the do snakes eat toads question.

What Happens If A Frog Eats Snake?

In most cases, the strong muscles in the frog’s stomach will constrict the snake to death. In any event, once the snake is inside in the frogs body, it can’t breathe – so it suffocates. The frog then digests the snake. It absorbs what it can, and proceeds to regurgitate the rest later.

So, if you have been wondering how does a frog eat a snake, now you understand. It usually boils down to a matter of just swallowing the snake whole, and waiting for the snake to be digested.

How To Care If My Frog Ate Snake?

The best thing to do would be to take the frog to a vet. The vet will observe the frog closely. Then he will take steps to mitigate any ill effects that may arise as a result of the frog having eaten a snake. Sometimes though, the frog may not suffer any harm from eating the snake.

The snake and frog relationship is complex, with snakes eating frogs just as the frogs sometimes eat snakes. Thus, the frog snake relationship is not as simple as some people often assume.

How To Train Frog Not To Eat Snake In The Future?

It may not be possible to train your frog not to eat snake in the future. The best you can do is put in place measures to keep the snakes away from where you keep your frog. This is important, because the next time, it may be your frog that gets eaten by the snake. Things don’t always go the frog’s way.

Will Garter Snakes Eat Frogs?

Yes, garter snakes have the ability to eat frogs. And they often do. Therefore if you keep a frog as a pet, and you happen to see a garter snake around, you need to know that your frog could be in danger.

The people who pose this question (do garter snakes eat frogs) tend to be under the impression that the garter snakes are harmless to frogs, because they can’t constrict prey. But that is a false impression, because garter snakes enjoy eating frogs a great deal.

Frogs too can eat the garter snakes. Indeed, if you were to undertake research on what do frogs eat, reptiles, including the garter snakes in question here, will be in the list. But in reality, only a truly giant frog will have the power to tackle and eat a garter snake.

Conversely, if you were to do research on what the garter snakes eat, you would discover that frogs are way up the list. But the typical garter snake is relatively small.

Upon encountering one, you may be inclined to ask it: how can you eat a whole frog (given your modest size)? In actual fact though, once a garter snake manages to get a snake into its mouth, swallowing and digesting it is quite a simple affair.

Bullfrog Eating Snake Meaning

If you are superstitious, and you happen to come across a bullfrog eating a snake, it can leave you with a great deal of anxiety. This would be the case as you try to figure out the bull frog eating snake meaning at a deeper level. The whole thing is akin to finding a frog eating another frog: it can cause a superstitious person a great deal of anxiety.

But a zoologist will tell you that, in the wild, frogs and snakes eating one another in really the order of the day, all the time. Do snakes eat frogs? Pretty much all the time. Do frogs eat snakes? Every once in a while. So it will probably be just a coincidence that you happen to find it happening. Ideally, you shouldn’t overthink it.

Final Verdict – Do Frogs Eat Snakes

Do frogs eat snakes? Frogs do have the ability to eat snakes. To be more accurate, some frogs do eat some snakes, especially the larger species of frogs eating small snakes.

Thus, if you encounter a frog eating snake meme (or a frog eating snake drawing), you shouldn’t dismiss it outright. The giant frog species can eat snakes quite easily, especially ones with large feet and butt.

Conversely, snakes also routinely eat frogs. Therefore if you happen to keep both frogs and snakes as pets, you need to be aware of the fact that they may start plotting to feed on each other!

Rajkumar Ravichandran

Welcome to Learn About Pet. My name is Rajkumar Ravichandran and I love all pets, travel, and amazing food. I write about my passion and personal experience caring for multiple pets in this blog! ❤️