Argentine Horned Frog

Photo Compliments of Ravnos

INTRODUCTION:

Commonly called "PacMan Frog" or Ornate Horned Frog, the Argentine Horned Frog is a very hearty easily cared for frog. They get to be 7 to 9 inches from the tip of the nose to the back of the big fat bodies. They can be as wide as they are long! It is difficult to destinguish between the male and females. Females tend to grow larger than males, and males will sometimes vocalize when sprayed with water while females will not.

HOUSING:

These are not very active frogs. They tend to spend most of their time buried half way into the substrate. A 10 gallon aquarium is adequate for an adult. The substrate should be moistened peat or sphagnum moss. DO NOT allow this to dry out. Make sure it is always wet. To clean just ake it out and ring it out like a sponge several times, replacing on a monthly basis. My set-up was a 10 gallon tank with about 2 inches of wet peat moss. I had a large water bowl (my frog was over 6") in the middle of the cage. He had a big cave set ontop of the moss for him to hide in and to sneak up on his food from. Other than that, no furnishing were needed. I had a screen top more to prevent anyone from putting their hands in, than to preventing him from escaping.

HUMIDITY/TEMPERATURE:

Always keep the moss wet, and you will never have a problem with humidity. The temperatures recommended for these frogs are: Daytime at 76 to 80 degrees and Nighttime at 70 to 75 degrees.

LIGHTING:

Argentine Horned frogs are diurnal, meaning they are active bothday and night. They do not required any special lighting. I always kept my guys in my office so they had plenty of daylight. If needed, you can have a florescent light fixture to provide lighting. Their colors always seem more vivid under this type of lighting.

DIET:

They will eat anything that moves in front of them. Crickets, fish, even mice! A vitamin suppliment should be applied twice a week. I fed my Pacmans a diet of crickets (dusted every other day with a suppliment), goldfish, mealworms, and occasionally a pinkie mouse. I have seen adults over 6 inches eat a mouse! What amazing little creatures these are.

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

These are very popular frogs. They come in several colors. Green, Brown, and albino. The life span of captive specimens is about 7 to 10 years with the proper husbandry. It is not recommended to keep more than one frog per enclosure when they reach adulthood.