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Ornate
Horned Frog
(Hyla cinerea)
Habitat:
Basic Terrarium
Diet: Carnivorous
Adult Size: 4-8 inches
Lifespan: 16 years or more
Native To: Brazil and
northern Argentina |
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Did
You Know:
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The Ornate Horned Frog is
nicknamed “Pac Man Frog,”
because when it attacks
prey its large wide-open
mouth resembles the video
game character.
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In Argentina, there’s a myth
that a grazing horse will
die if an Ornate Horned
Frog has bitten it on the
lips. This is not true, the
frog’s bite is not
poisonous, but
it probably stems from the
fact that the fearless
Ornate Horned Frog will not
hesitate to attack a much
larger animal if disturbed.
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The Ornate Horned Frog gets
its name from the folds of
skin over its eyes. It does
not really have a horn.
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What You Should Know About
Ornate Horned Frogs |
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The Basics: |
Ornate Horned Frogs are
eating machines, with
mouths as wide as their
heads and steel-trap
jaws. There is little
distinction between
their broad heads and
beefy bodies. Their legs
and eyes are both
relatively small. In
nature, their green,
white and yellow skin,
touched with red and
black, camouflage the
frog when it lies on the
forest floor. When a
prey animal happens by,
the frog moves forward
and gobbles up the
unfortunate victim.
Usually, it will consume
prey in only one or two
gulps. Snakes, lizards,
rodents, birds and other
frogs are all on its
menu in nature. Waiting
for prey to
walk by the Ornate
Horned Frog moves its
body slightly forward by
pushing with its thin,
short legs, grabbing and
killing its next meal.
It takes only a gulp or
two to swallow the
prey whole. The Ornate
Horned Frog is a diurnal
animal, which means that
it is active during
daylight hours. |
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Enclosure:
They Have
Simple Requirements: |
Since they are
relatively inactive,
except when
eating, Ornate Horned
Frogs do not need a lot
of space. A single adult
can be housed in a
standard 20 gallon
aquarium tank. (More
than one Ornate Horned
Frog should not be
housed in the same tank,
since they will eat each
other.) Ornate Horned
Frogs are not agile
climbers, so placing a
few climbing rocks in
their enclosure will
provide them with
ample climbing
opportunities. The
enclosure should offer
plenty of hiding places.
Plants, live or
artificial, can be used
to provide hide areas.
Position plants over a
dry area of the
tank, as well as over
the water dish to
increase the frog’s
sense of security.
Unlike with climbing
treefrogs, the Ornate
Horned Frog’s enclosure
should not be vertically
oriented.
The enclosure should be
set up for easy
cleaning. |
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Substrate:
Material They
can Burrow Into Works
Best: |
Sphagnum moss, husk
fiber and other material
that the Ornate Horned
Frog can burrow into are
good substrates. The
substrate should be
sprayed every day to
maintain humidity
levels. Aromatic wood
substrates like cedar
must also be avoided,
since they can cause
serious and even fatal
health risks. Substrates
must be inspected daily,
so soiled material can
be removed. The Ornate
Horned Frog will do fine
with a paper substrate,
which offers the
advantage of
easy
cleaning/replacement. |
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Temperature:
They Like
It Warm: |
Hailing from the
tropics, Ornate Horned
Frogs do best
when the temperature in
their enclosure is warm,
in the low to mid 80s
Fahrenheit during the
day, and slightly lower
at night. An under tank
heater can be used
during the day to
provide this heat, as
long as the tank is
glass, not plastic.
Follow manufacturer’s
instructions when using
a heater to protect from
fire risks. A low
wattage overhead bulb
can also be used to
provide heat, during
periods when the pad is
not used. However, care
should always be taken
not to overheat the tank
with external heat
sources. In all cases,
the temperature much be
monitored carefully to
be sure it doesn't rise
too much. Never guess
the temperature.
Position a thermometer
about one inch over the
substrate level to
monitor heat. An
enclosure should never
be positioned in direct
sunlight. |
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Lighting:
They Must Be
Exposed to UVB Rays: |
Ornate Horned Frogs are
active during the day
and must have daily
exposure to ultraviolet
rays. Ornate Horned
Frogs should be exposed
to supplemental UVB
light using a
fluorescent bulb
designed for a frog
terrarium.
Prolonged exposure to
light can stress these
frogs, which spend most
of their time in nature
burrowing under leaves.
Total light exposure
should never exceed nine
hours for a one day
period, and may be
shorter depending on the
frog. If the frog seems
stressed by prolonged
lighting exposure,
reduce the amount of
time that the light is
left on. The fluorescent
bulb should be replaced
every six months. Glass
blocks out UVB light, so
overhead light sources
should be kept behind a
wire mesh cover, not a
glass or acrylic
tank top. |
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Diet:
Bigger Feeder Animals
Are Needed With Them: |
Young Ornate
Horned Frogs can start
out eating 4-6 gut
loaded crickets that are
dusted with a supplement a day,
but as they grow, they
will need bigger feeder
animals, such as larger
crickets, earth worms,
frozen feeder mice and
feeder guppies. (Fish
can be placed in the
frog’s water bowl.) No
food should be larger
than half the size
of the Ornate Horned
Frog’s body. Mice should
not be fed more than
once a month, and feeder
goldfish should be
avoided altogether
because of their high
fat content. Adults can
be fed once or twice a
week, and juveniles more
often. Care should be taken to
avoid
overfeeding adults,
because this frog is
prone to obesity. Do
not offer food by hand,
since the Ornate Horned
Frog is liable to attack
anything it sees when
feeding.
Important -- It is
necessary to provide
calcium and vitamin
supplements as part of
the diet. Please read
the supplement section
below: |
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Supplements: |
Dust insects with calcium
supplement and vitamin
supplement. As a rule, a
growing juvenile's food
should be dusted more
often than an adult's.
Consult product labels
and outside literature
for specific
instructions on
supplementing.
Avoid over-supplementing
food.
The following is a
possible supplementing
schedule for this
reptile.
Food should be
dusted with a
vitamin/calcium
supplement every third
or fourth feeding.
Be
careful not to “over
supplement” a frog’s
food, since too much
calcium can cause gout
and calcification.
However, this
is only a general
suggestion -- the best
specific schedule may
vary depending on the
supplement products used
and other factors.
Please consult product
package directions,
outside literature and a
veterinarian to
determine the optimal
supplementing program.
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A
NOTE ABOUT WATER: |
All water given to this
pet for drinking, as
well as water used for
misting,
soaking or
bathing must be free of
chlorine and heavy
metals. We
recommend that you
use bottled drinking
water or bottled natural
spring water and never
untreated tap water.
If tap water
is used, you should treat
it with a dechlorinating
treatment or allow
it to stand for at
least 24 hours
before being introduced
to the pet's
enclosure to allow the
chlorine to escape. Do
not use distilled water,
which can cause severe
medical problems, since
it lacks minerals that
are essential to
important body
functions. |
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Water
& Humidity: |
Ornate Horned Frogs need
a 50-70 percent humidity
level in their
enclosure. This can be
maintained by placing a
large, but shallow,
water bowl in the tank
and misting the
substrate daily.
However, be careful not
to over humidify the
tank. Since
maintaining proper
humidity levels is so
important to the health
of this frog, it is
essential to use a
hygrometer to measure
them in its enclosure.
Water used in their bowl
and
misted on the substrate
must be clean and fresh,
and free of chlorine or
heavy metal. The water
level in the bowl should
be relatively shallow,
and a climbing rock
should be placed in the
bowl to make it easy for
the frog to climb out of
the water. |
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How to Handle an Ornate Horned
Frog:
Like
all amphibians, Ornate Horned
Frogs are meant to be observed
and appreciated,
rather than handled and petted.
Frogs breathe through their
moist delicate skin, and this
important organ can be damaged
when rubbed against and handled.
A startled or
threatened Ornate Horned Frog is
also likely to bite the fingers
of anyone trying to pick it
up. If it is necessary to lift
the frog, use a moistened exam
glove, and do so with great
care, grasping the animal firmly
but gently around the waist,
joining your thumb and
forefinger around its chest.
Promptly place the frog in a
safe container. Always wash your
hands, and rinse them thoroughly
before touching an Ornate Horned
Frog. The skin of
these frogs will absorb residual
traces of soap or perfume left
on a hand. You should also
wash your hands thoroughly after
handling any frog.
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Look Out For This:
This is not a pet for everyone.
Although generally calm, the
Ornate Horned Frog will bite
when disturbed or threatened. It
also
requires larger feeder animals
than the small insects consumed
by
most frogs. In nature it will
not hesitate to eat any animal
that fits
in its mouth. It’s not advisable
to house two Ornate Horned Frogs
together, since the larger one
may well consume its smaller
tank
mate. Its vocalizations sound
like a cow bellowing.
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Recommended
Ornate Horned Frog Supplies:
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A standard 20-gallon
tank
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Climbing rocks
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Foliage in the form of
live plants or
artificial plants
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Hiding places in the
form of curved corkboard
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A large, but shallow
water dish with a
climbing stone for
exiting
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A suitable substrate
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A UVB fluorescent light
source
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A hygrometer
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A misting bottle

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