Adorable Ornate Pacman Frog

Ornate Pacman Frog Description

The females of C. ornata can grow to be 16.5 centimeters (6.5 inches) snout to vent (SV) and the males 11.5 centimeters (4.5 in) SV. The average lifespan is 6 to 7 years, however,Ornate pacman frog can live up to 10 years or more in captivity. An ornate pacman frog most prominent feature is its mouth, which accounts for roughly half of the animal’s overall size.

Coloration is typically bright green with red markings, though dark green, parti-color black and albino versions also exist. Sexing this species is very difficult before sexual maturity is reached. Dimorphism traits between the two sexes are size difference and males possessing dark pigmented throats and nuptial pads on the forelimbs.

Feeding

All horned frogs, species of the genus Ceratophrys, hunt by remaining motionless, and waiting for prey. They will try to eat anything that can fit in their mouths, and some things that can’t. In the wild, their typical diet would include rodents such as mice, small reptiles, as well as large spiders, and insects such as locusts.

Ornate pacman frog are well known for their fearless reputation. They will attempt to consume animals, sometimes even the size of themselves. If threatened by a larger animal such as a human, these frogs can deliver a painful bite as they have several odontoid projections (not teeth per se) along their bottom and top jaws. Sometimes they will even jump towards their attacker, no matter their size and power. 

However, in captivity these frogs‘ natural diet is fairly easy to recreate. When kept as a pet, the horned frogs are usually fed mainly on large adult locusts, black and brown crickets, and mice; they also enjoy – depending on size – live fish. However, studies have proven primarily feeding a horned frog mice causes fat build-up, which often results in blindness and death.