Eating starts in the mouth, so that’s where we’ll start. Many frogs have teeth, as mentioned in other sections. They also have a tongue. In humans the tongue is connected to the back of the mouth. In frogs it is connected to the front. The frog also has quick reflexes which allow it to reach out its tongue much farther and faster to catch prey. There is a sticky mucus that is secreted onto the tongue allowing the frog to keep hold of its prey as it is pulled into the mouth. There, the teeth hold onto the prey too, to keep it secure for swallowing. Before the meal is swallowed whole it is tasted by the tongue and the Jacobson’s organ. Jacobson’s organ, what is that? It is a pair of structures attached to the mouth roof. Sheesh, that roof sure is crowded with teeth, maybe even added rows of vomerine teeth, and now a Jacobson’s organ. Anyways, the Jacobson’s organ is used to decipher what fluids and other chemicals are and the tongue detects salty, sweet, bitter, and sour (four of the five tastes we humans can detect). Next comes swallowing. Swallowing is aided by the muscles behind the eyes which retract onto the mouth and push food down.
After swallowing the food heads down what little esophagus frogs have. Basically if it makes it through the mouth it will make it through the rest of the system, because from the esophagus it hits the stomach. Here the food, which was eaten whole, will be completely broken down by hardy enzymes so the nutritious portions can be absorbed by the body. Bones, fur, and all are broken down by these enzymes. The liver is large so it can store enough glycogen for the extended periods between meals. The left over bits then travel through the rest of the small intestine into the hind gut and out the cloaca and vent. It is an unspecialized digestive system really. And, most frogs are mainly carnivorous animals.
Works Cited:
Behler, J. L., & Behler, D. A. (2005). Frogs: A chorus of colors. New York, NY: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc.
Beltz, E. (2005). Frogs: inside their remarkable world. Buffalo, NY: Firefly Books Ltd.
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