# General Topics > General Discussion & News > Care Sheet Proposals >  Horned frogs AKA Pacman frog care sheet

## Jason

*Horned frogs AKA Pacman frog (Ceratophrys Cranwelli)
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One of the best pet frogs are the popular Chacoan horned frog, a beautiful and moderately sized, gannet. They are a subtropical predatory frog that come from the Chacoan part of South America, where the inhabit grasslands that are flooded during the rainy season. They are captive bred for the pet trade, so no animal is taken from the wild.

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*Housing
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Horned frogs are simple and low-cost to set up and maintain. It's best to house these frogs separately, especially when young, as they might make a meal out any tank mates. A 10-gallon glass terrarium can be used for young frogs and this may well be able to house a small adult male, however for most adults a 15-gallon+ tank would be best. Use a substrate that allows for burrowing but poses little risk of impaction, such as coir. Other substrates such as bark or moss should be avoided. Keep the bedding moist, spot clean it daily, and in large set ups it may only need changed once a month. Artificial hanging plants trailing on the floor or cork bark pieces are good retreats, in which the frog will burrow under. Use a large but shallow water dish and change it daily with fresh dechlorinated tap water.
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Heating
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In order to for your frog's body to function properly you need to provide the right temperatures. During the day I keep my frog between 78-82oF, allowing a drop down to 74oF at night. Opinions regarding the best way of supplying heat vary but I prefer to use a heat mat on the bottom of the tank. When using a heat mat this way with a burrowing frog it is essential that the heat mat is connected to a thermostat and that it never covers more a third of the floor or you'll cook your frog. The other way preferred by some keepers is to use an heat lamp or ceramic heat emitter, though they tend to dry out the substrate and air, so more misting is needed. When it comes to monitoring the temperature, use digital thermometers over analogue.
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Lighting*

Even nocturnal frogs are exposed to some UV-B in the wild, however since horned frogs eat whole prey items such as small rodents, reptiles, fish and frogs, they probably get the majority of D3 from their diet, the vitamin needed for calcium absorption. They are successfully kept without any special UV-B emitting bulbs, when given dietary D3 by supplements. However, animals need  a day and night cycle to feel happy. If no other lighting is being used, then a compact fluorescent or LED light should be provided and set on a plug timer to be on for 12 hours each day. At night if you want to view your frog, you can use red or purple bulbs.


*Feeding*

Crickets can make the most part of their diet and I also use superworms as a main component for mine. Other food items such as earthworms, mealworms, fish, pink mice and roaches can be added for variety. It's important to gut-load and then lightly coat insects with a calcium with D3 supplement, as well as adding a multivitamin once or twice per week. Feed them in the evening, so the frogs get the most of the supplements before the crickets shake them off. A young frog will grow well when fed every one to two days, whereas an adult can be fed once per week or more if they're especially greedy but don't let your frog get too fat!


Hope this proves useful  :Smile: 

Jason

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Cliygh and Mia 2

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## Jason

Picture has somehow changed to something else, weird.

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