What’s in a name?

A Pacman Frog is any frog from the Ceratophryinae family, but the frog most commonly referred to as a Pacman frog is the Ornate Horned Frog or Argentine Horned Frog.  They have a large stomach and an enormous mouth, resembling the video game character Pacman.

 

Appearance

These large, fat frogs appear to consist almost entirely of a stomach and a mouth. They are often very colorful, as you can see by looking at my version of the Pacman Frog.  Females can grow to a whopping 9 inches from nose to vent (rear, bottom, posterior), while males are slightly smaller at 7 inches.  Pacman Frogs are one of the few frogs that have teeth, and nasty bites have been reported.

Location & Lifespan
Horned Frogs, or Pacman Frogs as we like to call them, can be found half buried under leaf litter in moist tropical rainforests of South America.  The average lifespan of a Pacman frog is around 6 years, but well taken care of in captivity, they have been known to live up to 14 years.

Waca waca waca…
Pacman Frogs are voracious eaters.  They will eat just about anything that moves, including insects, fish, mice, reptiles, and other frogs.  A fully grown female can easily eat a full grown rat.  Basically, they can swallow almost anything that is half their size.  A row of sharp teeth in the upper jaw makes it almost impossible for Pacman Frogs to release their food once they grab it.