Description: Originally from South America, most individuals offered for sale are now captive bred. Also known as horned frogs because of the pointy protuberances above their eyes that look like horns. The belly is whitish to yellowish and the back has a variable pattern of dark patches and blotches with different colors as a background. Adults can get to be 4½" to 6 ½" in size and young frogs can be stuffed with enough food to reach it in 6 to 9 months. These are "ambush" predators that remain hidden until they see something move and then strike at it. These fat frogs, especially the juveniles, may attempt to eat any prey that can fit in their large mouth, even if it can’t be swallowed. Choking deaths are not uncommon, neither is cannibalism and a dead frog with another dead frog’s legs sticking out of its’ mouth is not a pleasant sight! Fingers are also on the menu and if bitten, be careful not to pull back too hard as you may end up bleeding. The bite is normally not bad and it may be better to wait until the frog lets go. Eventually they learn that fingers are not food and bites become rare. Active day and night and always hungry. Can live for 10 years or more.

Ceratophrys cranwelli: Cranwell's horned frog, small horns behind the eyes. Regular, wild type Cranwell's Pacman frogs are not too colorful, patterned in shades of brown, but numerous color and pattern varieties have been developed. Background colors range from green/lime green, yellow, orange, red and brown, or various color combinations. Some have very little pattern and an attractive reddish-yellow albino type is available.

Ceratophrys ornata: Ornate or Argentine horned frog, small horns behind the eyes. Background color is usually green with a variable amount of yellow and reddish brown.

Ceratophrys cornuta: Suriname horned frogs have good size horns.
Hybrids between any of these three species are sold as fantasy frogs.

Temperature: Adults, 75 to 85°F, a small drop a night is OK. Juveniles do better and grow faster at a steady 80 to 85°F.

Humidity: Not important, if low, be sure that a water dish is available to soak in.

Lighting: Not important, a regular day and night cycle should be provided.

Feeding: Voracious, will eat a large variety of foods including mealworms, crickets, earthworms, moths, roaches, beetles, young mice, other frogs, fish etc. Even non-living food can be given if dangled in front of them. Dust the food items occasionally with a calcium and vitamin supplement, twice a week for young, growing frogs and no more than once a week for adults, even less often if feeding them vertebrates. Vertebrates are considered to be fattening and should be fed sparingly. You should never see a skinny Pacman frog, it would be starved or sick. These frogs tend to get overweight, which is unhealthy and will shorten their lives. As the young frogs grow, it is important to taper off the amount of food given. Adults do not need to be fed every day; they would only get fatter and less healthy. Once or twice a week is plenty for a full grown adult. Be careful when feeding them, they can easily mistake your finger for food and bite it hard!!
A bowl of clean water must be provided at all times to soak in.

Habitat: These medium-large frogs can make due with a small terrarium, a 10-gallon will suffice but a larger tank is always better. Provide a deep, loose substrate for them to burrow into and hide. Plants, artificial or live, may be dug up and moved around so be clever in the placement of rocks etc to keep them in place. These guys love to soak in their water dish. A shallow one that is deep enough to soak in and easy to get in and out of will please them. They will use it for a toilet so frequent cleaning is required.

Estivation: It is not needed but a couple months of estivation may be good for the adults. Lower the temperature and humidity and stop feeding them and they will go dormant.

Sexing: Adult males are about ½" to 1" smaller than females, may sing and often have a dark, puffy looking throat. Dark nuptial pads may be present on the inside of the thumbs.

Breeding: In the past, hormone injections were given to induce breeding. This is not necessary and only adds to the stress the frogs already undergo when breeding naturally. Simply raising the temps and placing them in a rain chamber will often induce breeding.
Start with healthy frogs that are at least 2 or 3 years old and cycle them prior to breeding. Keep the lights on for 13 hours a day and the temps at 78° to 83°F for a few months. Feed heavily and give extra supplements for a month before cycling down. Over a period of about 2 or 3 weeks, gradually shorten the day length to 8 hours and lower the temp to around 65°F, always continue with the 5° to 10°F drop at night. Humidity also needs to be reduced but do not let the tank completely dry out. Stop feeding and misting early on but be sure to provide a bowl of water. The frogs should be inactive and in their protective cocoons. At this point, turn off the lights, cover the tank and keep them in darkness for about a month. Be sure to check up on them, filling the water bowl, making sure the tank does not dry out completely and checking for sick or dying frogs. Cycle down period takes about 6 weeks or so altogether.
Next, start the cycle up process; uncover the tank, gradually over a 1 or 2 week period raise the temps and day length back to normal and start misting the tank lightly until the frogs are active and feeding again. Feed them well for a day or two before they are transferred to the "rain chamber".
The rain chamber does not need to be especially large and the water should be between 1 and 2 inches deep at around 82°F. The "rain" should fall twice a day, 1 or 2 hours in the late afternoon and 4 to 6 hours in the evening. Males should start calling the first night or so but it may take several nights of the female being exposed to this calling before she is ready for mating. When the time is right, she will entice the male into amplexus where he will stay (hopefully) on her back for a day or 2 before spawning takes place, usually late at night or early in the morning. Remove the frogs when spawning is complete.
A large female can lay 1500 to 2000 eggs that should hatch in 1 to 2 days. The tadpoles will begin to feed in another 1 or 2 days.

Tadpole care: Caring for such a large number of tadpoles is quite an undertaking. A large pre-established aquarium that is filtered and planted up is necessary for the large number of tadpoles. Clean the tank and do partial water changes regularly. They do best at 82° to 85°F in fairly calm, filtered water with a PH of around 7.5. When they become active, feed them 2 or 3 times a day with "meaty" type foods such as; live or frozen black worms, blood worms, tubifex worms, white worms and chopped earthworms, etc. Cannibalism is common and some breeders use small individual containers to raise the tads. This can be a tremendous amount of work to maintain. If well cared for, they can grow to 3½" in about a month before beginning metamorphosis, at which time easy access to land must be provided.
The 1¼" froglets grow rapidly if well fed and again, cannibalism will occur if they are raised together as some frogs grow faster than others. Froglets can be fed pinhead crickets, fruitflies and other tiny insects.

ENJOY YOUR PET LIFE FORMS, Dave & Donna