Common Name: South American Ornate Horned Frog, Pac Man Frog
Latin name: Ceratophrys ornata
Native to: Tropical Rain forests of South America
Size: Males grow to about 7 inches, females 9 inches.
Life span: Normally around 6 years. Have lived up to 12 years in captivity.
General appearance: Pac man frogs are large, fat frogs, that seem to consist of two parts, a stomach and a mouth and appear to be designed solely to eat. They are often very colorful, usually green with dark red to black markings along their back, females slightly larger than males. Usually round in shape, with a mouth disportionately larger than the body appearing to look like Pac Man characters, this is one of the few frogs that do have teeth.
Housing requirements:
Enclosure: Minimum 10-gallon aquarium, with a lid.
Temperature: Prefer 72° to 82° Fahrenheit
Heat/Light: Pac man frogs do best in a 9 - 12 hour photo period. Longer periods may cause them to stop eating. Fluorescent is preferred because incandescent may dry out the skin.
Substrate: The tank can be lined with paper towels, aquarium gravel, reptile bark or Astroturf with clumps of sphagnum moss and artificial or live plants. Frogs are very sensitive so make sure products used are reptile safe.
Environment: Must have a shallow bowl of water where it will spend most of its time. Have enough loose material to simulate the loose leaves in the forest for hiding spots. High humidity is required so mist daily.
Diet: Feed a variety of crickets, fish and mice. Juveniles should be fed every 2 - 3 days. Adults should be fed once a week and then every 10 - 14 days, as it grows older. It is important to not feed prey items that are too large. Offered food should be no larger than half the size of the pac man frog. Use a vitamin and calcium supplement once weekly with juvenile pac man frogs and every 3 - 4 weeks with adults.
Crickets can be put in the aquarium and fish may be placed in the water dish or you can use small tongs or tweezers to hold the prey items in front of the horned frog.
Note: Pac man frogs will tend to bite anything that moves. Never use you bare hands when feeding to avoid bites. Many frogs are killed when a hand is quickly drawn away from a bite and the horned frog is flung against a wall.
Maintenance: Periodically clean out dead crickets and cricket parts. Water should be freshened daily if evaporating and changed at least once a week. Handlers are advised to wash hands thoroughly after handling animals or animal related products.
