Horned frog is a South American frog with an enormous head, a wide mouth, and fleshy, hornlike flaps of tissue behind the eyes. It is sometimes called the Pac-Man frog because its wide mouth and ferocious appetite resemble those of the video game character Pac-Man. There are several species (kinds) of horned frogs. The largest species, Ceratophrys aurita, may grow to 6 7/10 inches (17 centimeters) long, not including its hind legs, and weigh 1 pound (0.45 kilogram). Females are larger than males.
Some horned frogs live in dry regions of South America, while other species live in humid rain forests. Most horned frogs have varying shades of brown, gray, and green on their backs, with white or cream on the underside. Horned frogs are ambush predators, meaning that they hide, usually under leaf litter, and remain motionless until a meal passes by. Some horned frogs attract potential prey by wiggling their hind toes. This tricks the prey into thinking the toes are food, luring them closer. The frog then lunges at the prey and chomps at it with its large, wide mouth and long, sharp teeth. A horned frog will eat almost anything about its size or smaller that crosses its path, mainly such small vertebrates (animals with backbones) as birds, other frogs, snakes, and mammals living on the forest floor.
A female horned frog lays hundreds to thousands of eggs in water after mating with a male. The eggs hatch in as little as two days and become tadpoles. Some horned frog tadpoles feed primarily on tadpoles of other frog species. In three to five weeks, the tadpoles eventually lose their tails, turn into frogs, and move onto land. Some horned frogs can live in burrows for months at a time when conditions are especially dry or cool. Inside the burrow, they create a cocoon around themselves to prevent water loss.
Several other species of frogs are also called horned frogs. But most of them are not closely related to South American horned frogs.
