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| South
American Ornate Horned Frog |
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| Common
Name: |
horned
frog, Pac Man frog |
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| Class:
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Amphibia |
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| Order: |
Anura |
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| Family:
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Leptodactylidae |
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| Genus
species: |
Ceratophrys
(horny skin) ornata (ornate) |
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| Fast
Facts |
| Description:
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Large,
fat frogs, often very colorful; usually green with dark red to black
markings along their back; females slightly larger than males |
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| Size:
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Snout
to vent length: 14 cm (5.5 in) |
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| Weight: |
Large
females may weigh up to 480 g (1 lb) |
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| Diet: |
Large
insects, small vertebrates such as lizards, mice, and other frogs
(including their own species) |
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| Incubation: |
Females
deposit 1,000 to 2,000 eggs in standing water; at optimal temperature,
it takes only two weeks to go from egg to tadpole to froglet |
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| Sexual
maturity: |
18 to
24 months |
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| Life
span: |
Average
6 years |
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| Range:
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Argentina,
Uruguay, Paraguay, and Brazil |
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| Habitat:
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Burrows
in the leafy, muddy vegetation of tropical forest floors |
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| Population: |
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| Status:
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Not
listed by USFWS or CITES |
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| Fun
Facts |
| 1. |
These
frogs are often called "mouths with legs" because the mouth
appears to be the entire front half of the body. |
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| 2. |
The
common name, horned frog, comes from the folds of skin that are located
over its eyes. |
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| 3. |
As
an adult, the horned frog is a passive hunter that waits for its food
to come to it before attacking. As a juvenile, they are very active
feeders and are cannibalistic. |
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| 4. |
This
species has vomerine teeth, or teeth on the roof of its mouth, as
well as around the outside of its jaw. |
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| 5. |
Horned
frogs are usually diurnal; some may be crepuscular. Like all frogs,
they sleep with their eyes open. Their skin is very sensitive, acting
as a supplemental breathing organ. The oils found on human skin can
be harmful to frog skin. |
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| 6. |
In general,
frogs have smooth skin while toads have textured skin. |
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| Ecology
and Conservation |
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As
a small predator, one of the ornate frog's roles is controlling
populations of small animals. As tadpoles and adults, horned frogs
themselves are a source of food for many other carnivores. Like
all amphibians, horned frogs have porous skin and respond quickly
to changes in the environment; they are very sensitive to minute
changes in the ecosystem.
These
frogs are becoming more popular in scientific embryological research.
Researchers are able to halt the development of the egg in different
stages of development in order to better understand cell division.
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| Bibliography |
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Conant
and Collins. Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North
America. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1991.
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De
Vosjoli, Philippe. The General Care and Maintenance of Horned Frogs.
California: Advanced Vivarium Systems, 1989. |
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Dickerson,
Mary. The Frog Book. New York: Dover Pub. Inc., 1969.
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Duellman
and Trueb. Biology of the Amphibians. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins
Univ. Press, 1986. |
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Halliday,
Tim R. and Kraig Adler (eds.). The Encyclopedia of Reptiles and
Amphibians. New York: Facts on File, 1987. |
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Mattison,
Chris. Frogs and Toads of the World. New York: Facts of File,
1986. |
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Stebins
and Cohen. A Natural History of Amphibians. 1995. Princeton
University Press, Princeton, New Jersey. |
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| Return
to Expedition
Pantanal 2002 |
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| Return
to Animal Bytes |
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