HABITAT AND RANGE:
These horned frogs are native to the
tropical rain forests in Northern
Argentina, Uruguay and the Rio Grande do
Sul region of Brazil. They can be found
burrowing in the leafy muddy rainforest
floor. These frogs will hibernate in the
dry season.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:
The Pac-Man Frog has a round and plump
body with a wide head. Their mouths are
as wide as their heads and are equipped
with strong gripping jaws and a wide,
pink fleshy tongue. Their skin is green,
with white, yellow and some red and
black spots, this effectively
camouflages the frog as it lies half
buried in the leaf litter on the forest
floor, waiting for prey to walk by.
Their current popular name of "Pac-Man
Frog" eloquently describes their
appearance when they lunge at prey: they
appear to be all mouth. However, these
frogs are sometimes called “mouths with
legs” because the mouth appears to be
the entire front half of the body. Their
common name, “Horned Frog”, comes from
the folds of skin that are located over
their eyes.
ADAPTATIONS:
All of the horned frogs have enormous
mouths and are highly predatory, the
food of some consisting almost solely of
other frogs. Large specimens will attack
anything which threatens them. They can
inflict painful bites, holding on with
bulldog tenacity. Even the tadpoles of
the horned frogs are highly carnivorous.
This species has vomerine teeth, or
teeth on the roof of its mouth, as well
as around the outside of its jaw. Horned
frogs are usually diurnal; some may be
crepuscular. Like all frogs, they sleep
with their eyes open. Their skin is very
sensitive, acting as a supplemental
breathing organ. The oils found on human
skin can be harmful to frog skin.
DIET:
The Ornate Horned Frog is carnivorous.
They will swallow prey up to their own
body size, feeding on frogs, lizards,
mice, and large insects.
REPRODUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT:
The eggs of amphibians are susceptible
to drying out; therefore they must be
laid in water. Females deposit between
1,000 and 2,000 eggs in standing water,
and at optimal temperature, it takes
only two weeks for the egg to reach the
froglet stage. These frogs have
exceptionally fast growth rates: within
two weeks of hatching they have
metamorphosed into their adult frog
form. They then continue their rapid
growth rate, starting the size of a
silver dollar to about 6-8 inches within
five months. Females can weigh up to one
pound. The Pac-Man Frog can live between
6 and 9 years.
STATUS IN WILD:
As a small predator, one of the Ornate
Horned Frog's roles is controlling
populations of small animals. As
tadpoles and adults, horned frogs
themselves are a source of food for many
other carnivores. Like all amphibians,
horned frogs have porous skin and
respond quickly to changes in the
environment; they are very sensitive to
minute changes in the ecosystem.
