Ornate horned frog, Ceratophrys ornata

Clyde Peeling's Reptiland

One of the remarkable animals Darwin found and sent back to England was the ornate horned frog (Ceratophrys ornata). This pillow-shaped frog has been called a "mouth on legs." It buries itself in leaves or loose soil and lies in wait, ready to gulp down whatever walks by--even animals larger than itself. The ornate horned frog lives in eastern Brazil and Argentina; similar, related frogs live in neighboring areas.