Pacman Frog (Horned Frog) Care Guide

The ornate horned, a kind of South American horned frog, frog earns its nickname of “Pac-Man” because of its roundish shape and huge mouth—just like the iconic arcade game character. A large frog native to South America, these amphibians are very popular as pets because of their interesting appearance and easy care requirements. They sometimes get a reputation for being aggressive because they might try to bite anything that moves. They can become accustomed to their keepers, however. Pacman frogs are therefore not great for handling and shouldn’t be kept with other animals, but they make entertaining hands-off pets.

Fast Facts

Scientific name: Ceratophrys ornata
Native range: Northeast Argentina, Uruguay, and southern Brazil
Natural habitat: Subtropical grassland and forest, always near water
Adult size: 4-6 inches long, and nearly equal in diameter. Up to one pound in weight.
Tank size: 10 gallons or larger
Lifespan: 5-15 years
Difficulty of care: Beginner

Fun Facts

Horned frog tadpoles can make a noise that sounds like a small scream. They are the only amphibian larvae known to produce sounds.
In the wild during the dry season, horned frogs can go dormant by digging underground and secreting a tough membrane around their body. This keeps them from drying out too much before the rains return.

South American Horned Frogs in the Wild

There are actually several species of horned frogs that range throughout tropical regions of South America. The most common species in the pet trade, and the one commonly referred to as Pac-man, is Ceratophrys ornata. They are also known as Bell’s horned frogs or ornate horned frogs. Unfortunately, C. ornata populations are declining in the wild due to habitat loss and pollution, but other species in the genus are not known to be threatened.

All Ceratophrys are similar in their habits as sit-and-wait predators. They don’t move around much, but burrow into one spot and wait for prey to wander by. When a meal-sized animal comes within striking distance, a horned frog will ambush with its huge mouth and sticky tongue. They are known to eat just about anything including other frogs, rodents, and even snakes.

Pacman Frog Captive Care

These frogs are a common sight in pet shops, and they are a good choice for beginner amphibian keepers. They are not picky in their diet nor in their caging requirements, and their needs are relatively easy to meet. The most important considerations are keeping the environment warm and humid enough, providing them with a varied diet, and keeping the tank clean.

Tank Size

Pacman frogs are often sold at pet stores when they are very young and still two inches or less in diameter. At this size, a small Kritter Keeper enclosure will do them for a while, and these affordable cages are usually available for sale alongside. But be warned that these hungry frogs won’t stay so small for long.

As your frog grows it will of course need a bigger tank. Because they don’t move around much, a standard 10-gallon tank is sufficient, but if you want to go bigger your frog certainly won’t mind. A 20-gallon long is a good size for an adult frog, and will give you more room for rocks, plants, or other decorations if you wish to include them.

Substrate

Horned frogs need a substrate that they can burrow into. They prefer to nestle down in soft soil with just their back and head exposed. This is their position to lie in wait for prey. Suitable substrates for pacman frogs include:

Coconut fiber
Zoo Med’s Exo Earth Loose Coconut Fiber Reptile Substrate
Terrarium mix of organic soil, coco fiber, and sphagnum moss

The substrate should be 3 to 4 inches thick so your frog can bury itself almost completely. Small frogs can do with less, at 2 to 3 inches deep. This substrate should stay constantly damp but not soaking wet to maintain proper humidity.

Hiding Places

A substrate deep enough for burrowing is all the hiding spots these frogs really require, but yours might feel more comfortable with some additional cover. If you provide artificial or live plants with broad leaves, your frog will enjoy nestling under them from time to time. You could also use pieces of wood, rocks, or a hide box for more variety.

Just make sure that any cage furniture is either very secure or very lightweight so that it can’t collapse and hurt your frog. Remember they are diggers with powerful back legs, so they can easily displace just about anything. Keep this in mind if you try to use live plants, too. A pacman frog might uproot them.

Lighting

Pacman frogs don’t require any special lighting, but they do benefit from a day/night cycle and need warm temperatures. The following bulbs can provide sufficient light and heat when placed over a 10-gallon or 20-gallon tank:

Temperature

Pacman frogs come from a habitat with distinct seasons—hot in summer, cooler in winter—and rather frequent rainfall. In captivity they need a constantly humid environment but can tolerate cooling down for the winter months. Here are the temperatures you should strive to maintain in your pacman frog’s enclosure:

Normal temperatures should be 75-85 degrees during the daytime and 70-75 degrees at night
In the winter months it’s okay if the temperature ranges dip a bit cooler, but no less than 60 degrees.

The winter cool-down, or estivation period, is not necessary for these frogs but they do fine with it. If you do choose to let the enclosure cool down in winter, expect your frog to become even less active than normal. You won’t have to feed as often, though if your frog stops eating completely then there is likely a health problem, and you should try gradually raising the temperature.

A normal terrarium bulb kept on during the day should be enough to maintain these temperatures, but if you keep your house cool you may need supplemental heating at night. A nocturnal bulb or a heat emitter will do the trick. Don’t use an under-tank heater because these can get too hot for burrowing frogs.

Humidity

These frogs require a moist environment of about 70-80% humidity at all times. You can maintain this simply by keeping the substrate damp. A thorough daily misting should do the trick. With the right humidity these frogs do not require a water dish, but they may soak occasionally if you provide one. Pacman frogs are not good swimmers, so make sure the water is shallow enough that they can sit in it comfortably.

Of course if you provide a water dish you should also keep it clean. Change out the water when it becomes cloudy or when your frog defecates in it. With a removable bowl it’s easy to do—just rinse it out and use aquarium conditioner or purified water to refill.

An adult pacman frog comfortably nestled into the substrate.

Diet

In the wild, horned frogs are opportunistic carnivores that will chomp and try to swallow just about any living thing that fits into their mouths. In captivity they are equally voracious and this makes them quite easy to feed. They will readily eat the typical feeder insects like crickets and dubia roaches. Adult frogs will even eat rodents, and feeding the occasional pre-killed pinky or hopper mouse is good for adult frogs’ health.

Here is how you should feed juvenile and growing frogs (Less than one year old and less than three inches long):

Every day to every other day, feed 4-6 appropriately sized crickets or roaches.
The prey’s size should be less than half the width of your frog’s mouth for easy consumption.
Growing frogs should have prey that is dusted with calcium and multivitamin powder.

Here is how you should feed adult frogs, which are more than a year old and more than three inches long:

Feed crickets, roaches, or mealworms every 2-3 days.
Superworms make a good addition to the diet but they are high in fat. Feed no more than once per week.
Adult frogs can benefit from dusted insects but do not require them, especially if you feed them a mouse every 2-4 weeks in addition to their normal bug diet.

When feeding a frozen/thawed mouse or other prey that must be held in front of the frog, be sure to use tongs to save your fingers. Pacman frogs do not discriminate, and will bite down on anything put in front of them. Another thing to be wary of is overfeeding your frog. These little chonkers will eat whether they need to or not, so they are prone to obesity. To maintain a healthy weight, follow the feeding frequencies outlined above, and don’t even worry if you have to skip a feeding now and then.

Cleaning

Because these frogs eat so much, they produce waste pretty regularly, too. When you see feces you can spot clean it, but you should change out all of the substrate every once and a while also. If you choose to provide a water dish, be sure to clean this regularly and refill with conditioned water.

Remember that these frogs are snappy and pose a risk to your fingers. Yours will probably learn to leave you alone with time, but here’s a handy hack if you are worried about getting chomped while cleaning:

Place a plastic bowl or cup over the frog while it’s resting, and he or she should stay calm while you reach into the tank.

Compatibility

This probably goes without saying, but you should not try to keep a Pacman frog with any other animal! They will attack anything that’s even close to fitting inside their mouth. That said, people do breed these frogs so it is possible to gradually introduce them to a mate. You should only attempt this if you have the proper knowledge and experience, however.

Conclusion

All in all, horned frogs AKA pacman frogs make a fun pet for those who like hands-off and low-maintenance critters. If what you really want is a more typical kind of frog—one that ribbits and loves to hop in the water—Pacman frogs aren’t it. Instead they are more like mini Jabba the Hutts that sit around all day and munch on pretty much anything, but they are endearing in their own sort of way.