SPECIES: Argentinian Horned
Frog (Ceratophrys spp.) & African Bullfrog
(Pyxicephalus adspersa)
These make an ideal choice
for the beginner.
Distribution & General EcoIogy
Ceratophrys and Pyxicephalus
are unrelated and come from different areas
of the world; Ceratpophrysfrom South America
and Pyxicephalusfrom Africa.Ceratophrys, the
South American horned frog, is represented by
seven species. C. ornata and C. cranwelli are
the most commonly available, and very occasionally
C. cornuta and C. calcarata. They come in striking
shades of green, red & yellow with lines
of dark brown and black. Pyxicephalus has just
one species, P. adspera, the African bullfrog.
Its colour being more uniform, with brown to
an olive green dorsal surface and pale yellow
or cream underside. Both animals being surprising
well camouflaged in their natural environment.
They both live in subtropical
regions, though Pyxicephalus digs deep burrows
and can aestivate in a mucus cocoon during hot/dry
spells, and so can be found in quite arid areas
near temporary occuring ponds.
Although frogs of the
genus Pyxicephalus and Ceratophrys are not related,
they have evolved similarly. So both are covered
by this Care Sheet.
They are both large animals
with short limbs. They have adopt for an opportunist
feeding strategy, preferring to wait hall-buried
in the substrate for prey to pass. This way
of feeding suggests that meals caught are infrequent,
so to compensate for this, they have very large
heads and mouths and a powerful jaw that is
lined with very sharp teeth to grip the prey
animal. Large prey are easily overpowered and
killed before swallowing. Such large prey items
mean that these frogs can survive for many days
without feeding, as each meal can sustain the
animals for weeks if necessary.
Natural prey consists
largely of other amphibians, frogs, newts etc.
Other natural food items would be large insects
and invertebrates, also small birds and mammals.
"Cepha" in Pyxicephalus means "large
head'. The head and mouth of these and Ceratophrys
are very large allowing them to take prey items
weighing 25% of the animals own weight can be.
Body length may be up to 20cms, with a girth
of 350cms.
Housing in Captivity
Pyxicephalus and Ceratophrys
can be housed in quite small aquaria; a tank
of 45 x 30 x 30cm is large enough for one fully
grown adult. They must be kept individually
as they are cannibalistic and may attack other
captives even of similar size.
Tanks should be furnished
with Sphagnum moss or bark chippings of a depth
that is at least equal to the height of the
animal (2.5-3cm). This allows the animal to
hide itself as it would in the wild. A large
shallow water dish should be placed in the tank,
and regular spray/misting will ensure the frog
does not dehydrate. Water should be checked
daily and topped up if necessary. These animals
will require regular cleaning to prevent the
build up of bacteria and urine in the water
and substrate.
Temperatures should be
between 23-30°. This can be achieved by
placing an Ultratherm heatpad underneath the
aquarium so that it covers at least 1/3 of the
floor area. A thermostat would be useful to
control the temperature in the aquarium. Incandescent
light bulbs guarded and controlled by a pulse-proportional
thermostat may also be used, but should be switched
off at night. The heatpad will therfore maintain
the background heat at night.
You may well find that
the animal stays mainly in one spot in the tank
only occasionally moving around or changing
position in the tank. This should not be cause
for concern as by nature these animals are "sit-and-wait"
predators.
Food & Feeding
Small mammals are the
bestt food items to offer these frogs. An appropriately
sized mouse or rat pup can be offered once per
week. Fully grown Ceratophrys and Pyxicephalus
can easily manage a full grown mouse. Day-old
chicks may also be taken.
Juvenile frogs are best
fed with young mice (pinkies or fuzzies) or
large insects such as locusts.
A feeding response in
these frogs is triggered by movement. Food should
be freshly killed or defrosted and placed within
reach of the frog. Try wiggling the food item
in front of the frog held in long tweezers,
the frog will usually be enticed to lunge at
the food. Uneaten food should be discarded.
These large frogs may go for many weeks without
eating; this should not be cause for concern
as fat reserves built up can support them for
long periods.
The food item will be
grasped and held for some time before being
to swallowed, particularly in Ceratophrys. This
is because the frog would in the wild need to
overcome the prey animal before swallowing it.
BEWARE: these species
may bite hard and repeatedly! Great care should
be taken when handling and feeding. When handling,
use both hands to grasp the animal gently around
the middle, approaching from behind. Always
wash yor hands before and after handling these
animals.
The following are just a few
of the Reptile Care Sheets we have available.
For the full list please contact
us.
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Python (Python regius)
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