Pacman Frog

Genus Ceratophrys

Amphibian

Transcript:

Today on Animal Fact Files, we’re talking about pacman frogs. Hop on that subscribe button if you enjoy this video! Thank you to Kota’s Exotics for today’s suggestion. There are currently eight accepted species of pacman frogs, and they all hail from South America. The different species are all found, usually in non-overlapping ranges, in different parts of South America which contributes to their other common name: South American horned frogs.

The horns in these frogs are usually found above their eyes and, along with their natural camo coloration, the horns may aid in camouflage against predators such as mammals, reptiles, and birds of prey. Pacman frogs basically look like a head with legs, and the common name pacman comes not only from its very large and full of tooth-like projections grin but also from its voracious appetite, much like the video game character whose only purpose in life is to run away from ghosts and eat dots as well as the occasional fruit.

Pacman frogs are considered sit and wait predators. They’ll burrow into the soil leaving only their heads exposed. They’ve even been observed wiggling their toes to attract the attention of prey. Pacman frogs will eat pretty much anything they can fit in their mouth. Their sticky tongues are perfectly designed for ensuring anything they want to eat ends up in their stomachs. A pacman frog’s tongue is so strong, the frog could theoretically hang from a ceiling by it. Of course, ceilings aren’t exactly on the menu. Pacman frogs commonly dine on rats, mice, birds, lizards, arthropods, other frogs… basically, if it’s edible, they’ll eat it; and if it isn’t, they’ll make sure whatever it is knows who’s boss. Pacman frogs will actually bite a person if improperly handled. Pfft, and we thought the desert frogs were little balls of rage!

Like desert frogs, pacman frogs are also generally quite round, and from their nose to their rear average about 3 inches (7.62 centimeters) in length, though the ladies have been known to double that. At about two to three years of age, pacman frogs are ready to reproduce. They generally do so during rainy seasons when temporary pools are filled with rain water and act as perfect nurseries for the frogs’ young.

Male pacman frogs will make loud calls to attract the attention of females. The two will mate and the male will position the fertilized eggs on the female’s back so she can carry them to what she deems to be the perfect watering hole. That’s about all the male does for his kids, and after the female drops them off in a vernal pond, they’re on their own. It takes anywhere from a few days to a few weeks for the tadpoles to hatch.

As tadpoles they’ll eat arthropods and even try to take bites out of each other, however, they’re able to tell their siblings off when this happens. As far as has been recorded, pacman frog tadpoles are the only tadpoles who can make vocalizations. They make these metallic sounding squeaks when they’re being attacked by a conspecific (likely to help prevent species death) and when they get touched by other objects in the water. I imagine this as something akin to Chester’s disgruntled and startled mew when he’s pet during a deep sleep.

Pacman frogs may live to be older than a decade, and those kept in captivity tend to live even longer. Pacman frogs tend to be nocturnal to avoiding drying out during the heat of the day, and they’re generally found in lowland forests and grasslands where they have access to some from of moisture either through the soil or temporary ponds. They likely spend most of their lives buried in dirt, which, honestly, doesn’t sound like a bad way to live.

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