Are Horned Frogs Easy to Keep? A Breakdown of Horned Frog Care Difficulty and Precautions

The horned frog is an amphibian. Thanks to its very distinctive, quirky appearance, it has long been the most popular pet frog in the world, and they can be seen almost anywhere that has an aquarium. In recent years, some sellers have renamed it the "fortune frog." Let's take a look below at whether horned frogs are really easy to keep!

Are Horned Frogs Easy to Keep?

Horned frogs are relatively easy to keep. Horned frogs can be housed in any space with water, regardless of size; as long as the water depth does not exceed half its body height, it can live very well. Their temperature requirements are not high either. Any live food that can be swallowed, such as small fish and crickets, or wiggling strips of meat and dead mice, is accepted without complaint; they cannot see motionless food. In their native habitat, the horned frog's main food is the young of its own kind, so it is not suitable for cohabiting with other frogs or with its own kind when there is too great a size difference.

What Do Horned Frogs Eat?

1. Tadpoles: Horned frog tadpoles are carnivorous and can be fed bloodworms or the tadpoles of other frogs. Their feeding method is similar to that of fish: they draw powdered food into the mouth together with water, then press the water out through the gill slits while the food is swallowed. Captive breeding has shown that horned frog tadpoles also eat soybean cake, wheat bran, earthworm powder, fish meat and animal offal.

2. Adult frogs: Adult horned frogs are predatory animals and usually only capture live animals. They either actively search for prey or passively wait until prey comes within a certain distance and then suddenly seize it. They rely mainly on vision, using the tongue to catch prey on land and using the lower jaw to catch prey directly in water. Under captive conditions, their food mainly includes small fish, small shrimp, Dubia roaches, grasshoppers, crickets, mealworms, other frogs (field frogs, true frogs) and pinky mice.

How Do You Keep Horned Frogs?

1. Temperature: Horned frogs do in fact hibernate, but if this is not handled well they will die, so hibernation is not recommended. Horned frogs can tolerate a temperature range of 70-90 degrees Fahrenheit. When temperatures are lower, food should be offered less often and in smaller amounts. The optimum temperature range is 75-80 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Space: Horned frogs can be housed in any space with water. Generally, a horned frog will squat in the same spot all day and move very little, so the size of the space does not matter. Each horned frog should be kept separately. The enclosure can be lined directly with coconut coir, or with a thoroughly soaked sponge 1-2 cm thick for it to rest on, but do not use stones with sharp, hard edges, to avoid injuring the horned frog when it lunges after food.

3. Water quality: The water used for horned frogs should be dechlorinated water, filtered water or spring water. Tap water can be dechlorinated by chemical methods, by boiling, or by leaving it overnight in an open container. Amphibians do not drink water; they absorb moisture through their skin, so a large water dish must be provided so the frog can easily climb in and out. The simplest setup is to place a bare tank at a slant so that the lower end holds about one inch of water. The water should be changed every two days, or immediately once it becomes dirty.

4. Feeding: Horned frogs should be fed live prey. If the food is dead, use tweezers to hold it and wiggle it in front of them. If feeding mice, it is best to feed freshly euthanized or thawed mice, because this is safer for the frog and also somewhat kinder to the mouse.