| Ceratophrys | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Ceratophrys cranwelli | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Anura |
| Family: | Ceratophryidae |
| Genus: | Ceratophrys Wied-Neuwied, 1824 |
| Species | |
see text | |
Ceratophrys is a genus of frogs in the family Ceratophryidae. They are also known as South American horned frogs as well as Pacman frogs due to their characteristic round shape and large mouth, reminiscent of the video game character Pac-Man.
There are eight species: [1] [2]
| Image | Scientific name | Common Name | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Ceratophrys aurita (Raddi, 1823) | Brazilian horned frog or Wied's frog | Brazil. |
 | Ceratophrys calcarata Boulenger, 1890 | Colombian horned frog | Colombia and Venezuela |
 | Ceratophrys cornuta (Linnaeus, 1758) | Surinam horned frog | northern part of South America |
 | Ceratophrys cranwelli Barrio, 1980 | Cranwell's horned frog | Gran Chaco region of Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay and Brazil. |
| Ceratophrys joazeirensis Mercadal de Barrio, 1986 | Joazeiro horned frog | Brazil. | |
 | Ceratophrys ornata (Bell, 1843) | Argentine horned frog | Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil. |
 | Ceratophrys stolzmanni Steindachner, 1882 | Stolzmann's horned frog | Ecuador and Peru |
| Ceratophrys testudo Andersson, 1945 | Ecuador horned frog | Ecuador. | |
They have green and brown dorsal coloration. [3]
The female frog will typically not "chirp" or "croak" as often as males, but does sometimes. Males frequently have spotted chests, and at about a year old the males develop spots on their "pads" or "fingers". Males will also sometimes have subtle pads on their front legs during mating season, as well as making a sound similar to a cicada to call to their mates. The female frog is also generally larger than the male frog.
In captivity, C. cranwelli and C. ornata are the most popular species, [4] along with the "fantasy frog", a captive-produced hybrid between C. cranwelli and C. cornuta. These frogs can live in a terrarium with a floor area 8-10 times the size of the frog. [4] They commonly cover themselves with substrate or just sit contentedly in the water.
The average lifespan of a Ceratophrys frog in the wild varies between 1 and 4 years. In captivity and as pets, depending on diet and care, they may live up to 15 years. [5]
A Pacman frog owner, for example, who offers a roomy and well-kept home, feeds their frog a balanced diet of live insects, and routinely evaluates its health should anticipate their frog to live closer to the higher end of the lifetime range. [6]
They are voracious eaters, often eating insects, small mammals (such as mice), fish, other frogs, and small reptiles. [7] A fully grown female Argentine Horned Frog (females are generally larger than males) can easily eat a grown rat. They are sit and wait predators. [3]
These frogs are also known to be cannibalistic, and have been known to eat their mates, even if they are larger than they are.
Although these frogs can swallow animals almost half their size, they sometimes attempt to eat things larger than they are. Their teeth, as well as bony projections in the front of the jaw, can make it difficult for them to release prey after taking it in their mouth, in some cases leading to death by choking.
They have a very sticky tongue which they use to catch prey and pull it into their jaws. [8]
Large individuals have bite forces comparable to those of mammalian predators. [9]
Amphibians are ectothermic, anamniotic, four-limbed vertebrate animals that constitute the class Amphibia. In its broadest sense, it is a paraphyletic group encompassing all tetrapods, excluding the amniotes. All extant (living) amphibians belong to the monophyletic subclass Lissamphibia, with three living orders: Anura (frogs), Urodela (salamanders), and Gymnophiona (caecilians). Evolved to be mostly semiaquatic, amphibians have adapted to inhabit a wide variety of habitats, with most species living in freshwater, wetland or terrestrial ecosystems. Their life cycle typically starts out as aquatic larvae with gills known as tadpoles, but some species have developed behavioural adaptations to bypass this.
Pogona is a genus of reptiles containing eight lizard species, which are often known by the common name bearded dragons. The name "bearded dragon" refers to the underside of the throat of the lizard, which can turn black and become inflated for a number of reasons, most often as a result of stress, if they feel threatened, or are trying to entice a mate. They are a semiarboreal species, spending significant amounts of time on branches, in bushes, and near human habitation. Pogona species bask on rocks and exposed branches in the mornings and afternoons and sleep at night, making them a diurnal species. Their diet consists primarily of vegetation and some insects. They are found throughout much of Australia and inhabit environments such as deserts, and shrublands.
The ornate chorus frog is a species of chorus frog endemic to the Southeastern United States. Their distribution ranges from North Carolina, east to the very eastern part of Louisiana, and south to northern parts of Florida.
Cranwell's horned frog, also called commonly the Chacoan horned frog, is a terrestrial frog in the family Ceratophryidae. The species is endemic to the dry Gran Chaco region of Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay and Brazil. It, like other members of its genus, Ceratophrys, is commonly called the Pac-man frog, because of its resemblance to the video game character of the same name. Most adult specimens range from 8–13 cm (3.1–5.1 in) long and can weigh up to 0.5 kg (1.1 lb).
The blue poison dart frog or blue poison arrow frog is a poison dart frog found in the "forest islands" surrounded by the Sipaliwini Savanna in southern Suriname and northern Pará (Brazil). Its indigenous Tirio name is okopipi. The name "azureus" comes from its azur blue color. While first described as a valid species and usually recognized as such in the past, recent authorities generally treat it as a morph of D. tinctorius, although a few treat it as a subspecies of D. tinctorius or continue to treat it as its own species. To what extent it differs from the blue D. tinctorius in southern Guyana, adjacent Pará (Brazil) and possibly far southwestern Suriname, also is a matter of dispute, and many herpetologists, as well as many people keeping poison dart frogs in captivity, often have not distinguished these, with all commonly being identified as "azureus".
Agalychnis callidryas, commonly known as the red-eyed tree frog, is a species of frog in the subfamily Phyllomedusinae. It is native to forests from Central America to north-western South America. This species is known for its bright coloration, namely its vibrant green body with blue and yellow stripes on the side. It has a white underside, brightly red and orange colored feet, and is named after its distinctive bright red eyes.
The Mona ground iguana is a critically endangered species of rock iguana, endemic to Mona Island, Puerto Rico. It is one of the island nation's few large land animals, and it is the largest endemic terrestrial lizard in the country, and one of the biggest rock iguanas within the Antilles. It was previously considered a subspecies of the rhinoceros iguana.
The Argentine horned frog, also known as the Argentine wide-mouthed frog, ornate horned frog, ornate horned toad, ornate pacman frog, or just the pacman frog is a species of frog in the family Ceratophryidae. The species is endemic to South America. It is the most common species of horned frog, in the grasslands of Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil. A voracious eater, it will attempt to swallow anything that moves close to its wide mouth, such as insects, rodents, lizards, and other frogs, even if this predator would suffocate in the process. It is also kept as an exotic pet. The nickname "pacman frog" is a reference to the popular 1980's arcade game Pac-Man, where Pac-Man himself eats quite a lot, and has a mouth that takes up most of its body, much like the Argentine horned frog.
African dwarf frog is the common name for members of Hymenochirus, a genus of aquatic frog native to parts of Equatorial Africa. They are common in the pet trade and are often mistaken for the African clawed frog, a similar-looking frog in the same family. Their common name is obtained from their place of origin and the claws on their hind legs.
The Surinam horned frog, also known as Amazonian horned frog, is a bulky frog measuring up to 20 centimetres (7.9 in) found in the northern part of South America. It has an exceptionally wide mouth, and has horn-like projections above its eyes. Females lay up to 1,000 eggs at a time, and wrap them around aquatic plants. The frog eats other frogs, fish, lizards, and mice. Tadpoles of the Surinam horned frog attack each other soon after being hatched. This species was once considered the same species as Ceratophrys ornata. This dispute was later settled because the Surinam Horned frog inhabits a different habitat than its smaller cousin and does not interbreed with it in the wild. This species has been known to prey upon the other species of horned frog, especially the northern race of Ceratophrys ornata.
The Ceratophryidae, also known as common horned frogs, are a family of frogs found in South America. It is a relatively small family with three extant genera and 12 species. Despite the common name, not all species in the family have the horn-like projections at the eyes. They have a relatively large head with big mouth, and they are ambush predators able to consume large prey, including lizards, other frogs, and small mammals. They inhabit arid areas and are seasonal breeders, depositing many small eggs in aquatic habitats. Tadpoles are free-living and carnivorous or grazers (Chacophrys).
The strawberry poison frog, strawberry poison-dart frog or blue jeans poison frog is a species of small poison dart frog found in Central America. It is common throughout its range, which extends from eastern central Nicaragua through Costa Rica and northwestern Panamá. The species is often found in humid lowlands and premontane forest, but large populations are also found in disturbed areas such as plantations. The strawberry poison frog is perhaps most famous for its widespread variation in coloration, comprising approximately 15–30 color morphs, most of which are presumed to be true-breeding. O. pumilio, while not the most poisonous of the dendrobatids, is the most toxic member of its genus.
Hemiphractus is a genus of frogs, the horned treefrogs, in the family Hemiphractidae. These overall brownish frogs have a pointed snout and a casque on the head. They are nocturnal, relatively rare and native to humid lowland and highland forests in northern South America and Panama, where typically found on the ground or at relatively low levels in vegetation.
The rhinoceros iguana is an endangered species of iguana that is endemic to the Caribbean island of Hispaniola and its surrounding islands. A large lizard, they vary in length from 60 to 136 centimetres, and skin colours range from a steely grey to a dark green and even brown. Their name derives from the bony-plated pseudo-horn or outgrowth which resembles the horn of a rhinoceros on the iguana's snout. It is known to coexist with the Ricord's iguana ; the two species are the only taxa of rock iguana to do so.
The oak toad is a species of toad in the family Bufonidae. It is endemic to the coastal regions of southeastern United States. It is regarded as the smallest species of toad in North America, with a length of 19 to 33 mm.
The Caatinga horned frog is a species of frog in the family Ceratophryidae. It is endemic to Brazil. Its natural habitats are dry savanna, subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland, and intermittent freshwater marshes. They are voracious predators that use a sit-and-wait feeding strategy to ambush prey, which includes ants and small vertebrates. They are also known to be explosive breeders.
The Pacific horned frog, also known as Pacific big-mouthed frog, Stolzmann's horned frog and Ecuadorian horned frog, is a species of frog in the family Ceratophryidae. It is found in Ecuador and Peru. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forest, subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, and sandy shores. Its geographical range is very fragmented; it has a total area of about 20,000 km2 and is continuously shrinking due to human activities.
Lepidobatrachus laevis, widely known as Budgett's frog, is a species of frog in the family Ceratophryidae, discovered by John Samuel Budgett. It is often kept as a pet. It has acquired a number of popular nicknames, including hippo frog, Freddy Krueger frog, and escuerzo de agua.
The African bullfrog, also known as the giant bullfrog or the South African burrowing frog, is a species of frog in the family Pyxicephalidae. It is also known as the pixie frog due to its scientific name. It is found in Angola, Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and possibly the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It has been extirpated from Eswatini. It has long been confused with the edible bullfrog, and species boundaries between them, including exact range limits, are not fully understood. Additionally, P. angusticeps of coastal East Africa only was revalidated as a separate species in 2013.
Beelzebufo is a particularly large species of prehistoric frog described in 2008. Common names assigned by the popular media include devil frog, devil toad, and the frog from hell.
| Authority control databases: National |
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