Chacoan Horned Frog (Pacman Frog) (Matcha)
Ceratophrys cranwelli
The 'Matcha' Chacoan Horned Frog is a color morph of Ceratophrys cranwelli, featuring soft, powdery light green shades resembling Japanese matcha tea.
Umgebung
Terrestrisch
Luftfeuchtigkeit
60 - 80 %
Tagestemperatur
24 - 29 °C
Nachttemperatur
20 - 26 °C
Artbeschreibung
Geographical Origin and Habitat: Native to the semi-arid Gran Chaco region of Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Brazil. Unlike rainforest frogs, they inhabit dry savannas and scrublands, spending dry seasons buried underground in a cocoon of dead skin cells to prevent dehydration.
Taxonomy and Genetics: A member of the Ceratophryidae family, popular as the Pacman Frog due to its round body and massive mouth. The 'Matcha' morph is selectively bred for its soft, pastel light-green coloration, which lacks the dark brown margins seen in wild types. It reaches up to 15 cm in length.
Behavior and Habits: A sedentary, burrowing ambush predator. They spend almost their entire life buried in the substrate, waiting for prey to pass. They do not jump or climb, but crawl slowly. Males emit a loud, bark-like mating call during seasonal rains.
Morphology: Females are much larger, rounder, and heavier than males. Males are smaller, develop dark coloration on their throats, and have nuptial pads on their thumbs during the breeding season.
Pflege, Zucht und Mitbewohner
Terrarium Setup: Requires a horizontal terrestrial enclosure (minimum 45x45x30 cm). Provide a deep (10-15 cm) substrate of damp coconut fiber or peat moss to allow burrowing. Do not include climbing branches or rocks. A very shallow water dish is required, as they are poor swimmers.
Lighting and Heating: Requires warm temperatures between 26 and 28°C during the day. Do not use under-tank heating mats, as they will overheat the frog; place heating mats on the side of the terrarium. Provide low-intensity lighting with a 5% UVB source.
Humidity and Hydration: Maintain moderate humidity levels between 60% and 70%. Avoid waterlogged, muddy substrate, which fosters bacterial skin infections. Mist the enclosure daily with declorinated water, ensuring good ventilation to keep the air fresh.
Feeding and Supplementation: Highly voracious. Feed on crickets, roaches, earthworms, and occasional feeder fish or mice. To prevent impaction from swallowing substrate, feed them using tongs. Dust prey with calcium and vitamin D3 supplements three times a week.
Compatibility: Strictly solitary and cannibalistic. They will consume any tankmates, including other Pacman frogs of similar size. They must always be housed individually.
Health and Common Diseases: Prone to toxicosis and red leg syndrome from dirty substrate; change the soil regularly. Avoid handling to prevent damaging their sensitive skin, and beware of their strong bite, as they have sharp odontoid projections in their jaws.
Geografische Herkunft und Verbreitung
Native to the semi-arid Gran Chaco region of Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Brazil. Unlike rainforest frogs, they inhabit dry savannas and scrublands, spending dry seasons buried underground in a cocoon of dead skin cells to prevent dehydration.
Ursprung
Selektive Züchtung und SortenExtra-Amazonas-SüdamerikaNordamerikaOstasienKosmopolitisch oder eingeführt
Amphibienprofil
- Diät
- Carnivore
- Pacman frogs are ambush predators with a massive appetite, eating insects, worms, and appropriately sized rodents. Juveniles should be fed a staple of gut-loaded crickets or roaches, while adults can handle larger prey like nightcrawlers and occasional mice. Dusting food with calcium and vitamins is critical, but avoid overfeeding to prevent obesity.
- Lebenserwartung
- 10-15 years
- Erwachsenengröße
- 15 cm
- Lebensstil/Mikrohabitat
- Terrestrial
- Terrestrial and burrowing, they require a deep, moisture-retaining substrate like coconut fiber or sphagnum moss. They do not need a large enclosure but do require distinct moisture and temperature gradients. Provide a shallow water dish that they can easily enter and exit.
- Aktivitätszyklus
- Nocturnal
- Mostly nocturnal or crepuscular, they remain inactive during the day to avoid desiccation. They will become alert when food is introduced, regardless of the time of day. Their activity is primarily limited to eating and burying themselves.
- Sozialität
- Gregarious
- They are extremely sedentary, spending most of their time half-buried in the substrate waiting for prey to pass by. They can be aggressive feeders and will lunge at anything that moves near their mouth. They are solitary animals and should be housed individually to prevent cannibalism.
- Reproduktion
- Oviparous
- Breeding is difficult in captivity and requires a specific cycling process involving a dry period followed by heavy simulated rain. Males call loudly to attract females to shallow water where amplexus occurs. Females can lay thousands of eggs, and the resulting tadpoles are highly carnivorous and cannibalistic.
- Toxizität
- Harmless
- The Matcha Pacman Frog is entirely non-toxic and possesses no venom glands. They rely on camouflage and their biting capability for defense rather than chemical deterrents. While their bite can be surprisingly strong and painful due to odontoid projections (tooth-like structures) in their jaw, it is not venomous. Keepers should wash their hands before and after handling or feeding to protect the frog's sensitive skin and maintain good hygiene. They pose no toxic threat to humans or other household pets.
- Lebensphase
- Metamorphosis
- The Pacman Frog begins its life as an aquatic, carnivorous tadpole that requires separation from siblings due to cannibalistic tendencies. Once metamorphosis is complete, the Matcha juvenile froglet grows extremely fast if fed properly. They reach sexual maturity and near adult size within 10 to 12 months, depending on feeding frequency and temperature. Adult Pacman frogs are large, heavily built, and predominantly sedentary, capable of living 10 to 15 years under optimal care conditions. Throughout their life stages, maintaining proper humidity and substrate moisture is vital.
- Handhabungstoleranz
- Display only
- Handling of the Matcha Pacman Frog should be strictly minimized and generally avoided unless absolutely necessary for cleaning or health checks. Their skin is extremely delicate and easily absorbs toxins, oils, or soaps from human hands, which can lead to illness. Additionally, their aggressive feeding response means a moving finger can easily be mistaken for food, resulting in a painful bite. If handling is required, wearing moistened, powder-free nitrile gloves is highly recommended. Scooping the frog gently from behind or using a small container to move them is safer than picking them up directly.
- Brumation
- Nicht erforderlich
- In the wild, Cranwell's Horned Frogs undergo a period of dormancy known as estivation during the dry season, encasing themselves in a tough cocoon of shed skin to retain moisture. In captivity, this is not strictly necessary for the Matcha morph unless breeding is intended, and it carries significant risks if not managed correctly. If the enclosure becomes too dry or cold, the frog may enter this state involuntarily. It is safer to maintain consistent, optimal temperatures and humidity year-round to keep the frog active and eating. If estivation occurs, the frog should be slowly rehydrated with warm misting over several days.
- Häutung
- Periodic
- The Matcha Pacman Frog sheds its skin regularly as it grows, a process that happens more frequently in rapidly growing juveniles. The shedding process involves the frog making a series of stretching and wiping motions with its limbs to peel the old skin off its body. It is completely normal for the frog to eat its shed skin, which helps recycle nutrients back into its system. Providing a shallow soaking dish and maintaining proper ambient humidity are essential to ensure the shed comes off cleanly in one piece. Patches of retained shed indicate that the enclosure is too dry and needs immediate adjustment.
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