![]() This may be the best way to deal with your frog.Scientific Facts Common Name: Pac-Man Frog, South American Horned Frogs Scientific Name: Ceratophrys ornata Life Span: 12 – 15 years (in captivity) Size: Male: 2.5 – 4 inches female: 4 to 7 inches Habitat: Dense forests, rainforests Country of Origin: South America Physical Description Most large veterinary diagnostic labs offer a consultation service at no charge to assist vets in situations just as this. An alternative would be to find a vet who is willing to see your frog, even if he or she is not experienced in dealing with them, and ask if that vet would be willing to have a consultation with a veterinary consultant affiliated with a veterinary diagnostic laboratory. (I am assuming that you have been keeping it at room temperature since you acquired it.) Once it is warmer, and it looks and acts normally, you should make an appointment with a vet familiar with amphibians (and it may be difficult to find a vet who is well-versed in frogs). Your pacman frog should come out of estivation if you improve its conditions. But, it is especially important for you to not handle the frog while in this state. And actually, frogs are not the type of pet that should be handled, anyway, unless it is necessary for cleaning the tank, for example. Do not handle your frog at all while it has the thickened skin. An appropriate sized saucer of water should be provided for your frog to sit or soak in. Fluorescent lights are preferred as the heat emitted from incandescent bulbs can dry out the frog’s skin. Any longer and you risk sending your frog into estivation or it might just stop eating. The light should only remain on for nine to 12 hours per day. You should also provide a fluorescent light that emits UVB light. Live plants can also be placed in the tank to supply hiding places and this will also help keep the humidity up, which is important. If the tank doesn’t have sphagnum moss for it to dig in, then you should also supply herp-safe moss that has been dampened for it to bury into. The air temperature should be kept around 81 degrees Fahrenheit. ![]() Monitor the temperature by attaching a digital aquarium thermometer strip about one inch above the bottom of the tank. I would recommend increasing the temperature in the tank IF you have been keeping it at room temperature so far. Also, I never recommend using tap water for amphibians, unless you can adequately remove chlorine and chloramines from it prior to using it for frogs. While heating pads are often employed by herpers for supplying heat, they are not made to be kept on 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and can pose a fire hazard. They should be kept between 77 and 88 degrees Fahrenheit, and most people accomplish this by putting a heating pad on low under the tank or by applying a heat strip under the tank that is made for herps. I wonder if you were keeping the pacman frog warm enough? These frogs will go into estivation if they aren’t kept warm. When it feels ready, it will “awaken” and slough off the hardened skin, and then it will begin moving around and start looking for a meal. A frog in estivation will not eat or drink and will attempt to bury itself in the tank substrate. It is best to not disturb a frog that is in this state. Underneath, there is a thin layer of moisture and the frog will continue to take in oxygen through the skin, as the nostrils are often occluded by the thickened, hardened skin. ![]() The skin then hardens up and encases the frog in a protective layer. When undergoing estivation, the frog doesn’t shed its skin and instead retains it. With pacman frogs, it may also occur for reasons that we don’t know. This usually occurs when the temperature is too hot or too cold for the frog’s comfort. Next, your pacman frog is currently in a state of partial hibernation, called estivation. The frog’s digestive tract can handle fur and feathers, as long as it is being kept at the correct temperature for proper digestion, so don’t worry about that. So, the information that you were given telling you that the frog’s intestines might rupture from ingesting feathers is incorrect. ![]() The pacman frog is meant to eat rodents, birds, fish and even other frogs. First, let me put your mind at ease about the chicks.
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