![]() ![]() Any of these options will work, but they each exhibit different benefits and drawbacks.Īquaria and glass cages, for example, provide unparalleled viewing opportunities, but they’re heavy and fragile. Most Pacman frog keepers utilize aquaria, glass cages or plastic storage boxes to maintain their pets. We’ll outline the basic habitat needs for your new Pacman frog below. Once you’ve selected a Pacman frog and are ready to bring him home, you’ll need to establish a habitat for him. Pacman Frog Care: Setting Up and Maintaining the Habitat You can start with a full-grown adult if you like, but you’ll need to be comfortable interacting with a potentially pugnacious pet, who probably won’t hesitate to bite if he feels threatened. ![]() It is, however, wise for beginning frog keepers to start with a large juvenile, rather than a newly metamorphosized frog.įrogs that are already at least one month old are much hardier than individuals who’ve only recently reabsorbed their tails and moved to dry ground. Just be sure to select a healthy individual and let your personal aesthetic preferences drive the rest of the selection process. It doesn’t really matter which Pacman frog species you select, as they all require relatively similar care. Food refusal doesn’t necessarily mean that the frog is in poor health, but an aggressive reaction to food is typically a good sign. If possible, you may want to request that the seller offer the frog food too. Look for an individual with a plump body, moist skin and clear eyes. Don’t select a thin or sickly animal with the hopes of nursing it back to health – this rarely works and incentivizes poor retailer practices. If you’ve decided to pick up a pet Pacman frog, you’ll want to start by selecting a healthy, robust specimen. Their cannibalistic lifestyle may even continue after they grow legs – a fact that keepers are wise to remember when housing these frogs. Because they typically breed and deposit their eggs in temporary pools, Pacman frog tadpoles metamorphosize rather quickly – often in less than two weeks.ĭuring this time, the largest tadpoles in the pond often consume smaller individuals. Large insects and arachnids likely make up the bulk of their diet, but these frogs will also consume snakes, lizards, rodents and other frogs.įemale Pacman frogs are pretty prolific breeders, who often deposit up to 2,000 eggs at a time. Pacman frogs will consume just about any prey they can capture and overpower. Unlike most other frogs, Pacman frogs have bony, tooth-like projections, which help prevent prey from escaping. They’ll typically remain motionless and simply wait for a small animal to walk by.Īt this point, they’ll explode into action, grabbing the hapless prey and shoving it into their cavernous mouth. Pacman frogs have voracious appetites, and they are formidable predators for their size. These frogs will also switch hiding places from time to time. They move around very rarely – typically only to capture food or reach temporary ponds during the breeding season. Pacman frogs are relatively inactive frogs, who spend most of their lives half-buried in the substrate. The Basic Biology and Natural History of Pacman Frogs This includes residential yards, parks and gardens. These frogs may also be found in disturbed areas near human habitation. The frogs live in a variety of different habitats across this range, but they exhibit a broad preference for hot, damp grasslands with relatively little tree cover. Geographic Range and Habitat of Pacman FrogsĪs a group, Pacman frogs range across most of South America, including parts of Ecuador, Venezuela, and Columbia, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, Brazil and Argentina. As far as the beginning hobbyist is concerned, they can all be treated more-or-less interchangeably. However, they all engage in similar behavioral patterns, subsist on similar food sources, and require similar husbandry. Hybrid individuals are also available for hobbyists interested in keeping a “designer” frog.Īll three species vary in terms of color, pattern, and – to a lesser extent – morphology. Surinam horned frog ( Ceratophrys cornuta).Argentine horned frog ( Ceratophrys ornata). ![]() Cranwell’s horned frog ( Ceratophrys cranwelli).Scientists currently recognize eight species within the genus, but the following three are the only ones regularly seen in the pet trade: They’re also frequently called “horned frogs,” thanks to the horn-like projections above their eyes. The term “Pacman frog” (or sometimes, Pac-Man frog) is typically applied to several members of the genus Ceratophrys. Pacman Frog Care: Setting Up and Maintaining the Habitatĭefining “Pacman Frogs”: What’s in a Name?.The Basic Biology and Natural History of Pacman Frogs.Geographic Range and Habitat of Pacman Frogs.Defining “Pacman Frogs”: What’s in a Name?. ![]()
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