r/pacmanfrog

29K archived posts · May 2017 – Sep 2026

The Care and Keeping of Pacman Frogs

r/pacmanfrog

Welcome to /r/pacmanfrog! We advocate for providing the best possible science-based care to our animals and allowing them to thrive, not just survive. We welcome keepers new and old to share and discuss anything related to Pacman frogs. Species covered under the nickname "Pacman Frog" are Ceratophrys cranwelli, Ceratophrys ornata, Ceratophrys cornuta, Ceratophrys aurita, and Fantasy Pacman Frogs (Cranwelli x Cornuta hybrid).

Created May 24, 2017

18KMembers (last snapshot)

29KArchived posts

About

Welcome to r/pacmanfrog! This is the place for everyone's favorite fat frog! We welcome keepers new and old to share and discuss anything related to pacman frogs. Species covered under the nickname "Pacman Frog" are:

Ceratophrys cranwelli
Ceratophrys ornata
Ceratophrys cornuta
Ceratophrys aurita
Fantasy Pacman Frogs (Cranwelli x Cornuta hybrid)

Rules

Be nice!

Be kind and courteous when answering someone's question or giving care advice. Comments with personal insults, rude or otherwise harmful language will be subject to removal. There is a zero-tolerance policy on posts and comments including slurs targeting specific groups including race, ethnicity, religion, sexuality, gender identity, disability, etc will be removed and offending users will be banned.

Posts with blatant animal abuse or intentionally putting a frog at risk will not be tolerated.

This includes patterns of neglect, videos showing harm, gore, and other dangerous situations. We are willing to help you if you are rescuing a frog or are improving on poor care. If there is a pattern of continued posts showing neglect and abuse, you will be banned.

We are not vets.

The r/pacmanfrog mods and community are not responsible for your frog's health and wellbeing. If your frog is sick or injured, it needs to see a vet. Do not message the mods asking about health emergencies. Please search for a qualified amphibian vet near you using the ARAV tool: https://arav.site-ym.com/search/custom.asp?id=3661

No spam or sales posts without advance permission.

Posts need to be relevant to the care and keeping of pacman frogs. No off-topic posts or links. No sales posts without prior mod permission.

Photos of visibly seriously ill, injured, or deceased frogs must be marked NSFW.

Some people find it disturbing to see photos of ailing frogs without warning as they're browsing Reddit. If your frog is clearly very sick, injured, or is dead, posts need to be marked NSFW.

We advocate for science and research-based best care practices.

Pacman frogs deserve a lot better than many people give them, and we want this to be a place for learning about how to make their lives as healthy and enriched as possible. All care advice in our guidelines are sourced with up-to-date scientific data and information. If you share advice that is opposed to these principles, you should be prepared to discuss it. Comments with blatant or dangerous misinformation and those from repeated offenders will be removed.

Vertebrate live-feeding posts must be marked NSFW and flaired appropriately. Posts with photos or videos of vertebrates (rodents, lizards, birds, etc.) being live-fed to frogs must be marked NSFW, and you must use the vertebrate live feeding warning flair. Respect the danger you are choosing to put your frog in and the animal that's dying - posts or comments with a cavalier attitude about this will be removed and the user may be banned.

Resources

In-Depth Care Guide *Note - This document includes all the information from the stickied guide as well as additional information, charts, lists, and recommended products

Advancing Amphibian Husbandry Facebook Group

Ceratophrys ornata Care Guide by Aster Laurel Montor

Doing Better by Pacman Frogs

What species is my frog?

FAQ

First time owner?

Check out the stickied post for a care guide that covers all species of pacman frogs, and the link in the resources section above the FAQ!

How do I safely handle my frog?

It is best to wear nitrile gloves that are moistened with dechlorinated water. You can also thoroughly wash and rinse your hands and keep them moist with dechlorinated water.

Why isn't my frog moving?

Pacman frogs are naturally sedentary and don't move much except when dinner comes by. It's normal for a pacman frog to sit in the same place for days or even weeks at a time! However, encouraging them to move occasionally to spot-clean the substrate where they have been sitting is a good idea for the health of your frog.

Why is my frog buried?

Pacman frogs hide in the dirt to ambush their prey. They also burrow to cool down. Keep an eye on your temperatures and to make sure your frog is not overheated.

Is my frog male or female?

Once they are old enough (generally 6+ months), the most accurate way to sex your frog is to look at the thumbs. Males will have a dark organ on the thumb (called a nuptial pad) that is used to grip the females when mating.

Male

Female

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