How to Care for a Pac Man Frog

Pac man frogs are named after their habit to gobble up whatever may be placed in front of them. They are ambush predators, meaning they do not chase their prey, but wait patiently for it to walk right in front of them. This is a simple frog to take care of and can be very entertaining to watch.

Things You'll Need

• Enclosure
• Screen top lid
• Heat mat
• Substrate
• Plants
• Vitamin and mineral supplement
• Spray bottle
• Shallow water bowl
• Full spectrum lighting

Instructions

1. Purchase a 10 gallon glass aquarium. Be sure to also get a locking screen top lid.

2. Add a 2 inch deep layer of substrate that will be soft and retain humidity like sphagnum moss, peat moss or clean soil. Keep it very moist at all times for your frog.

3. Provide full spectrum lighting for your Pac man frog with special florescent bulbs you can buy at any reptile retailer. This is not essential, but the full spectrum lighting will benefit your animal and any live plants in the tank.

4. Maintain a temperature suitable for your Pac man frog of about 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Provide a thermal gradient by placing a heat mat on one end of the tank to allow the frog to regulate its own temperature between the hot and cold areas.

5. Place several plants and mosses in the aquarium as decorations. These will also maintain humidity and help the frog feel at home.

6. Bury a shallow bowl in the substrate of the aquarium so that your frog can simply walk into it and submerge himself. Keep the bowl filled with clean, non-chlorinated water.

7. Spray clean, fresh non-chlorinated water in mist form into the tank once a day to help maintain a high level of humidity.

8. Feed your juvenile Pac man frog feeder insects that can be purchased at a local pet store. Dust the insects once a week with a vitamin and mineral supplement powder for reptiles. As your frog grows larger, you may need to sometimes feed it small rodents, but this should be more of a treat, not a daily food.

Tips & Warnings

• To get your frog to eat, buy a pair of forceps and wiggle the food directly in front of your frogs face. He should leap at it and begin to eat.

• Add a hiding rock or other hiding space for your Pac man frog.

• Pac man frogs are cannibalistic, so do not keep more than one together or they will eat one another.

• Avoid using aquarium gravel or pebbles as a substrate as they can be accidentally ingested and block your frogs digestive system.

• Understand the commitment involved in buying a Pac man frog. They can grow to nearly 10 inches in length and have lived up to 12 years in captivity.