Common Name: Surinam Horned Frog, Amazonian Horned frog, Pacman Frog
Scientific Name: Ceratophrys cornuta
Family: Ceratophryidae – Horned Frog family
Location: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela
Size: 4.7 inches (120 mm)
The Surinam Horned Frog is the largest of the horned frogs, with the females capable of reaching 7.9 inches long. Like all other horned frogs, they are a master at sitting and waiting for prey to come close to them and then striking. They achieve this task by burrowing down into the ground and leaf litter and remaining still for hours. Their prey is anything that moves and can fit into its mouth, including other frogs.
Even with the Surinam Horned Frog sitting around and waiting for food for hours, they are still a popular frog in the pet trade. In the wild, they are colored green or brown to camouflage into their surroundings, but they have been bred to have vibrant colors in the pet trade. Any horned frogs should not be group housed due to their cannibalistic tendencies.
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List assess the Surinam Horned Frog as Least Concern for Extinction. They have a large range (upper half of South American) and are thought to be common throughout it. However, local populations are threatened with deforestation.
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