From:
Mike Janke
Date: 2001-08-14 13:23:00 UTC
Subject: Re: Frogs and Ferrets
I don't know where you live, but down here in S. Florida we have what
we call Bufo toads. They are extremely dangerous and secrete their
poison from glands on the back of their neck. Small dogs die just
from picking one up in their mouth without even biting it. They don't
need to be eaten. They would most definitely kill a ferret in very
short order if the ferret was to get some of their toxin in their
mouth. Back when I had a doberman, I had to stick a garden hose in
his mouth more than once to wash out the toxin. He never learned but
fortunately, he was big enough and I was quick enough that he never
got ill from grabbing one.
I would not let my ferret grab any kind of frog, though something
like a leopard frog is probably not poisonous. Still, better safe
than sorry. If you're not in the sub-tropics, you probably don't
have Bufo toads around.
--- In Ferret-Health-list@y..., rknrobin@z... wrote:
> Hello,
> I have read Bob's writing on the polecat diet. I noticed that
> polecats ate frogs and toads.
>
> I have a nice backyard that my 7 ferrets go out to play in in the
> morning and in the late afternoon when it is cooler.
>
> I recently built a pond which, naturally, attracted a frog. Every
> morning it is a race to see who can get to the frog first. Me or
the
> ferrets. When I get there first I put the frog in the neighbors
yard
> or take it to the irrigation canal down the street but it always
> returns. So If the ferrets get the frog first I hear the poor thing
> squeal in torment. I have to rescue the frog before they can drag
it
> off to their little hidey hole.
>
> My question is can a ferret eat a frog? I know that frogs are
toxic,
> but are they toxic to ferrets as well?