Problems with 'Pac Man' (Ceratophrys cranwelli)

[deifiler]

Hi all,

I'm having problems with my Ceratophrys cranwelli (Horned 'Pac Man')n in the sense that it has stopped eating for quite some time. I've tried feeding it a differing diet and in a manner of ways, though to no avail. The specimen is begining to look thinner, so I'm getting more concerned.

I'm not overly educated on this kind of animal, I've had it around two years. I got it as part of a 'multi-buy' from someone who could no longer care for it, and I've had no problems beside this. I did have one of these around ten years ago and I vaguely recall it fasting then entering a mucus filled hibernation state of some sort, though it's a little hazy.

The specimen is approximately three inches in diameter.

I'm going to do some research now, but as always people's direct input is more than welcome.

Thanks in advance for any information...

 

[Crotalus]

Hi Deifiler!

I got no personal experience with these frogs but I got a article about them laying here so I thought I would write a few lines anyway.

I take for granted you got the basic requirements when it comes to temp, humidity etc for the frog.

There are a few diseases that these frogs can get:

Red leg (I dont know the english word for it - "red leg" is a literally translation from swedish)
caused by poor hygien in the terrarium, stress ands/or wrong temperature. On and around the frogs legs get reddish (due to bursted bloodvessels). The frog may get spasms, get lethargic and stop feeding. Take it to a vet.

/Lelle

 

[Wade]

It's called Red Leg in English as well

Temperature could be a factor. Although they don't need the high temps reptiles typically do, they do need to be a bit warmer than amphibians from temperate regions. Around 80 f (I think that's like 27 c, forgot the conversion equation!) is good, maybe a little higher.

Sometimes in the winter they will fast and go into an estivation period (the "mucus filled hibernation" you describe). Usually, they do this if captive conditions are on the dry side, when moist they don't really get the mucus thing going, but they may still fast for a while. How long has it been since he's eaten? It may not be a big deal.

Generally, these frogs don't care what they eat as long as it's moving in an attractive manner. Have you tried something active like crickets to see if it gets a reaction? Most keepers feed them dead pinkie mice off forcepts, but sometimes it's hard for the keeper to shake the pinkie in just the right way. Othertimes they'll lunge at anything that moves.

Wade

 

[deifiler]

Thanks for the replies,
Yeah the specimen had been raised primarily on crickets with the occasional mouse/other. It readily accepted a pre-killed mouse dangelled infront of it (haha the reverse of your example) and is looking and acting healthier already.

Thanks for the information

 

[galeogirl]

Be aware with these guys (and other large-mouthed frog species), that they'll sometimes swallow foreign objects like stones and get intestinal impactions.

I'm glad your frog is doing better. They're really neat creatures.

 

[MyNameIsYours]

These frogs can go a long time without food, so I wouldn't really worry if it fasted again. They never really move so they don't burn any fat and little food lasts them a long time. They love it warm, and heat keeps the metabolism going. If the foods coming out looking the same then its probably not getting enough heat.

Just my personal experience with these guys


This is mine......I had a brown and albino before, they weren't as good eaters as this one. What color is yours?