| general
|
| description |
Horned frogs
have plump, warty, oval shaped bodies. The top of their
heads come to a point over the eyes, resembling horns.
They have a huge mouth and it is just as large as their
heads and make the rest of their body, including the eyes,
look small. Their mouth is equipped with strong gripping
jaws and a soft, pink tongue. The color of their skin
often help them blend into the forest floor in the wild
to ambush predators. |
| distribution |
South America(Northern Argentina), Columbia, Uruguay
and the Rio do Sul region of Brazil
|
| species |
C . cranwelli - Chacoan horned frog
C . ornata - Argentine horned frog
C . aurita - Brazillian horned frog
C . calcarata - Colombian horned frog
C . cornuta - Amazonian horned frog |
| Colors |
Colors can vary from species
to species. Mostly are a lime green with mixes of red,
black, tan or brown in them. For albino horned frog, its
colors will be a yellow and orange to even a little pink
mix. |
| life
span |
max. up to 9 - 10 years,
average 5 - 7 years |
| adult
size |
Male - 4 to 6 inches,
Female - 8 inches ; weights - 1 pound |
| housing |
| natural
habitats |
Terrestrial; lowlands,
swamps and shallow pools |
| cage
|
It should be large enough
but does not need to be high because they do not climb
high much. (e.g. Wooden
Terrarium, Glass
Terrarium) |
| substrate |
Soil, moss (e.g. Forest
Bed , Forest Moss),
barks (e.g. Repti Bark,
Coconut Bark) |
| activity
period |
Nighttime (nocturnal);
give heat and help monitoring by infrared lamps (e.g.
Nightlight Red Bulb, Infrared
Heat Lamp) where the light is invisible for it but
humans |
| temperature |
27 - 29 ¢XC -- basking
spot (e.g. Basking
Spot Lamp)
22 - 24 ¢XC -- cooler area (e.g. Daylight
Blue Bulb)
18 - 23 ¢XC -- at night (e.g. Nightlight
Red Bulb, Infrared
Heat Lamp, Ceramic
Heat Emitter) |
| humidity |
approx. 80% |
| water
dish |
a large water bowl or
dish (e.g. Rock water
dish) should be available to access all the time |
| diet |
|
diet |
Omnivorous ; Insects,
worms, rodents (e.g. mice, rats), low-fat meat (e.g. fish,
chicken) |
| feeding |
Feeding these frogs can
be quite tricky. Despite the large size of these frogs,
they can jump farther than you think. In an effort to
grasp the food item, the frog may accidentally bite your
hand. Forceps should be used during feeding. |
| notes |
Do not overfeed
these frogs. Obesity is a serious threat to the frog's
health. |
| reproduction |
| reproduction
|
If you have an adult pair
in good physical condition, you need to put them through
a cool, dry period to get them ready for breeding. This
is done by placing them in a tank with a deep layer of
sphagnum moss, and allowing it to dry out (by not spraying
it). A water bowl should be available at all times, however,
so the frogs can seek it out if necessary, even though
they'll probably just go under the moss and stay there. |
| mating
age |
from 18 months |
