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Horned Frog not feeding?

Having kept amphibians for many years I was surprised to learn of one glaring omission on many websites featuring pet frogs. Having acquired your new specimen, is it normal for your frog not to eat?

One thing we do know about the Argentine horned frog (Ceratophrys aurita, cornuta, cranwelli, ornata, pierroti et al) is that they have a voracious appetite. Indeed it is not uncommon for these species to become obese in the vivarium should they be overfed. A cursory glance over the Internet shows horned toads tackling just about any prey they can fit in their mouths (including your fingers, be careful as large specimens can inflict a painful bite!).

So, having brought your specimen home and settled him in a suitable vivarium with good humidity (damp, but not soaking substrate) and the correct temperatures, why does your horned frog refuse to eat?

Firstly, amphibians suffer from stress. Your frog needs time to settle into his new environment, so let him do just that without poking, prodding or unduly moving him about.

Make sure there is a shallow container of dechlorinated water treated with Reptisafe or similar. Even if he does not sit in this, since frogs can breath through their skin it is vital that fresh water is available at all times.

To avoid impaction I would generally avoid Sphagnum Moss in preference for a fine, inert cocoa-fibre based substrate such as Plantation Soil. This will also allow your frog to burrow.

If the vivarium is persistently too dry, too hot or too cold your frog may start to estivate. In this case he will burrow into the substrate and protect himself with a mucous membrane to conserve water. This will not happen overnight and is only likely if the frog has been kept persistently under the wrong conditions.

In the first few days of ownership is not uncommon for your horned frog to bury himself in the substrate and remain very inert. As long as the conditions in the tank are okay, do not assume he is starting to estivate.

Use a heat mat suitable for about half the lenth of the tank, this will allow your frog to thermoregulate my moving about. Since horned toads tend to burrow to get cool it is better to place the heat mat on the side of the tank rather than underneath it. and a small UV lamp to help with calcium absorption. Under no circumstances use halogen spot bulbs or similar. If you do, your frog will dry out rapidly and you may just find him totally ossified one morning. If your frog is an albino morph, do not use any UV lighting as you run the risk of blinding the amphibian. Make sure your vivarium is not in a position where you can trap sunlight, if you don't you can soon end up with a fried frog. If you are using a UV lamp do not keep it on for more than 12 hours per cycle as this may upset your animals natural biological clock, which will in turn affect feeding.

Providing a temperature gradient within the vivarium is essential. The hottest spot should be about 82 degrees, and the coolest around 75 degrees. This way your frog can move himself (as he would in the wild) to the most comfortable spot.

It is always useful to enquire what food your horned toad was eating before you acquired him. This should be your first food of choice. A juvenile will probably be used to small crickets and mealworms, a sub-adult specimen may be used to a fuzzy mouse once a week. Try and keep to a similar routine. Remember, these frogs can go for very long periods of time without eating. They are notoriously lazy, being "sit and wait" predators. Once starting to feed, over eating will be the main concern, not eating too little!

After a week or so of settling in, if your horned toad still refuses food you might want to rehydrate him by allowing him to bathe in shallow, suitably treated water. Do not use tap water which has not been treated as the chlorine will burn the frogs delicate skin. It is not a good idea to handle your horned frog anymore than you have to, rather, use a scoop and small plastic container (such as the ones crickets come in) to move him about. If you do handle the frog you will get some of his mucus on you, but more significantly you will leave any residues from your hands on him. This will just stress the animal and have a generally deleterious effect.

Be patient, and with the proper husbandry your frog should soon be feeding properly.

Happy herping!


(c) Duncan Rosslair, LordFishy.co.uk

Frozen mice available, as few as five

Fed up with high shipping costs on frozen rodents? Now you can buy as few as 5 (and save freezer space!). Click on the firebellied toad (to the right) to see our full current Ebay listings. Always lots of dry goods available too. Need something special? Drop us an email.

Demise of the amphibian pet trade

I clearly remember a time when the UK herp trade was bursting at the seams with a huge variety of amphibian livestock. As we all know, weather changes have not been kind to our slippery friends. And it can't just be the advent of CITIES that has limited availability so much, either (I certainly don't condone wild caught animals). The question must be, why are breeders no longer providing us with such a good choice of animals? Is it that snakes and other herps are commanding such high prices? Are amphibians just going out of fashion? I can't provide a comprehensive answer. However Lord Fishy was set up with a single aim in mind. To create the largest UK database of amphibians available to the pet trade. Be sure to check back often as we scour the four corners of Britain to locate what's available, when and where.

Where did all the amphibians go?

If you are looking for unusual fish, amphibians and inverts you have come to the right place! We are currently building a vast UK database of retailers and suppliers to help you find that perfect herp.

Because we concentrate on frogs and toads, we may very well be able to help you find what you're looking for.

Available to order now we have fire bellied toads and newts, land hermit crabs, lepoard crabs, watermelon crabs, rainbow crabs, blue crayfish and all manner of freswater and marine inverts. Soft corals are available too.

Due in late July are yellow bellied turtles and cooter turtles, green toads, african toads, black spiney toads, pixies (African bullfrogs) and horned toads.

Within a few months we aim to have the biggest selection of amphibians in the UK. So check back often, and don't forget to join the mailing list!

Looking for something special? Drop us a line at trade(at)lordfishy.co.uk.