Reptile & Amphibian Forums

pac-man frog is of course the pet store trade name, anyone here actually kknow the actual real name of the beleaguered pac-man frog. South American Horned Frog, but pacman frog is easier for simple minds to remember. Am I being overly harsh--perhaps, but none the less know what your getting, then you can research what you will need for it to grow and prosper, I have 2 South American Horned Frogs Ornate ssp. Please lets not denegrate this species down to a toy to play with, as they can and will bite and with authority( I feed mine adult mice and small rats ). Just something for you to think about while drooling over your frogs.
Barry

Yeah I know, I hate calling them "pac-mans". I have 4 Cranwells' Horned Frogs, or Ceratophrys cranwelli. And you shouldn't feed them rodents, it causes lipid(fat) buildups and makes them go blind. There are actual proven studies about this.

Hi Barry,

The pet trade has come up with lots of strange names to sell herps under. I honestly don't see why it matters that much, a common name is a common name. In all honesty I think that pac-man frog says much more about the two Ceratophrys species commonly availible than horned frog does. They've got big mouths and love to eat, pretty fitting if you ask me. Where are the horns on the two common species? At the pet store I work at I've always labelled ours horned frogs probably because thats just what I've always called them but I don't see any reason to take offense to pac-man frog. Just my two cents,
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Devin
devin@amphibiancare.com
www.amphibiancare.com
3.2 Dendrobates tinctorius 'Dwarf French Guiana'
1.1 Dendrobates tinctorius 'Powder Blue'
5.1 Mantella aurantiaca
1.1 Mantella crocea
1.0 Ceratophrys cranwelli
0.1 Hyla chrysoscelis or versicolor
1.0 Bufo americanus
0.0.1 Salamandra salamandra
1.0 Ambystoma tigrinum
0.1 Chamaeleo calyptratus
0.0.1 Chrysemys scripta
0.0.1 Chrysemys picta belli
1.0 Terrapene carolina triunguis

Certainly worse than refering to horned frogs as pac-man frogs has got to be the interspecific breeding that has been going on in the US. I would say the vast majority of what is referenced as Ornate Horned frogs are actually Chacoan or Chacoan Ornate hybrids. I have been watching for true Ornates and have only seen a small hand full in the past 5-10yrs. The only reliable way to get them is trough fresh imports, it's sad, this is what captive breeding was supposed to do, remove the need to impact wild populations for pet trade. Lke-wise, Chacoan Horned Frogs likely carry Ornate genes too.
Oh, and feeding rodents, the frogs will pass hair only if fed rodents occaisionally. If you are feeding your Ceratophrys rodents the hair will eventually accumulate to the point that it will kill the animals. In the wild Ceratophrys are primarily amphibian and insect eaters, but will take anything that fits in their mouths.