Sit-and-wait Predator
Part of the Frogs: A Chorus of Colors exhibition.
Ornate horned frogs have voracious appetites, but they are not built for chasing down prey. They bury themselves in leaves or loose soil and pounce on small animals that blunder by. When harassed by a human or other large animal, these fearless frogs lunge and snap their huge jaws. Like little green bulldogs, they bite and hang on until pried loose.
© Joe McDonald, Clyde Peeling's Reptiland
Ornate Horned Frog
Ceratophrys ornata
Class: Amphibia
Family: Leptodactylidae
Size: Up to 7 inches
Food: Mice, lizards, birds, snakes, insects, other frogs
Range: Uruguay, Brazil, and northern Argentina
Habitat: Rainforests and pampas prairies
Life Cycle: A thousand or more eggs are attached to plants in water. The tadpoles have voracious appetites and often eat each other.