How Do Horned Frogs Reproduce? A Detailed Guide to Breeding Methods and Techniques

The horned frog is the most common pet frog in the world, and in recent years breeders have renamed it the "fortune frog." Among them, the most common is the Cranwell's horned frog, while the most expensive is the Amazonian horned frog, also known as the "overlord horned frog," which can cost tens of thousands of New Taiwan dollars. So, how do horned frogs reproduce?

1. How Horned Frogs Reproduce

Horned frogs reproduce by laying eggs. There is little horned frog breeding in China because it is very difficult to simulate the climate changes that trigger estrus. Male horned frogs are smaller in size, reaching a maximum of about 10 cm; females are larger, at about 15 cm. Males also emit mating calls during the breeding season.

2. The Horned Frog Breeding Process

Although horned frogs are easy to keep and sturdy in build, breeding them is not easy. They must go through a so-called hibernation period of 1-2 months of dry, low-temperature conditions to trigger mating and egg-laying. For this, you can place them in a small tank covered with moist sphagnum moss and then put it in a cool place, with the temperature controlled at 20-21 degrees, and let the sphagnum moss dry out naturally. However, a small water dish still needs to be placed in the tank in case of need. After mating, the female frog attaches her eggs beside aquatic plants, and they hatch into tadpoles in about 2-3 days. Because tadpoles also have the habit of eating the weak among their own kind, more aquatic plants must be placed in the water for them to hide in, or the tadpoles should be raised separately in isolation. Tadpoles grow quickly and can transform into young horned frogs in just about one month. Young frogs are also safer to raise in isolation. Once they reach the young frog stage, the mortality rate drops greatly. Aside from accidentally choking to death or overeating to death, there are really no fatal diseases that threaten their survival. They are considered the best introductory species for keeping frogs.

Every year from April to July is the breeding season for horned frogs, and it is also the liveliest season in the countryside and by the rivers. At night, most male frogs frequently emit pleasant calls to attract females to come and lay eggs. Usually a female frog can lay about 300-500 eggs at a time, but because some of the eggs are eaten by other animals, not many actually hatch. Horned frog eggs develop into adults through metamorphosis. The frog eggs first become tadpoles. The tadpoles drag long tails, and after about a month and a half, the tadpoles grow hind legs, and after another half month the front legs also grow out from the gill openings. Interestingly, their legs first develop inside the body and then suddenly extend outside the body. Finally, the tadpole's gills and tail disappear, and they develop into frogs.