Passage of the game horned toad. Frog slingshot at home. Seasonal and daily lighting and irradiation mode
The slingshot frog got its name from the outgrowths on its head. A representative of this species is also called a decorated slingshot or italy. In nature, these amphibians are not too bright, but those bred in captivity have a variety of colors. Cranwell's slingshot frog belongs to the family of toothy toads, it is voracious, sleeps with its eyes open - quite funny to keep in a home terrarium.
Dimensions
Decorated slingshots are of impressive size, females are much larger than males. The length of the body of the female reaches 17 cm, and the male - 12 cm. Despite such noticeable dimensions, it is almost impossible for a person to see them in nature - they lead a secretive lifestyle. Even victims of slingshots do not always notice the enemy. When hunting, these frogs burrow into foliage, moss, and silt, merging with them in color, and patiently wait for their potential “dinner” for a long time.
Habitat, biotope and way of life in natural conditions
They are found in humid areas in deciduous subtropical hardwood forests of South America - in Argentina (in Pampa - in the northeast of the country), Brazil, Uruguay.
Slingshots are litter amphibians, they love damp shaded places. They live in areas overgrown with shrubs, woodlands, foothills, swampy lowlands.
In the daytime, slingshots hide in burrows and shelters, burrowing into loose soil or fallen leaves. They go hunting at dusk - at night and early in the morning. By nature, these frogs are inactive - they wait for prey, hiding in loose earth or foliage, only the upper part of the head with eyes sticks out above the cover. A photo of a slingshot frog in its natural environment cannot convey all the splendor of this amphibian.
How to distinguish a female from a male
Males have noticeable nuptial calluses on their front legs - they look like small dark-colored seals. The color of males is brighter, more contrasting than that of females.
The slingshot frog requires a horizontal terrarium for keeping in captivity (at least 40 liters for one individual) measuring 45 x 30 x 30 cm. The height of the lamp must also be taken into account.
In the terrarium, it is necessary to install internal daytime heating - equip it with a thermal mat or a thermal cord. Place an incandescent lamp or a mirror lamp on top. The optimum temperature at the heating point during the daytime will be 30-32°C. The average temperature throughout the terrarium is 25°C during the day, 22-24°C at night.
In the artificial housing of the slingshot, it is necessary to arrange a landscape close to natural: put snags there to get more shelters, hang ampels - live or artificial. Suspended - because a slingshot will dig anything out of the ground, these are burrowing frogs.
The soil must be drainage, you will need:
- fine gravel 4-5 cm high,
- further - at least 10 cm fresh earth,
- the top layer is moss.
But you can just buy coconut substrate and sphagnum.
It is not necessary to arrange a pond and install a drinking bowl. Just twice a day, you need to spray the sphagnum in the terrarium with water just above room temperature. Atmospheric humidity is important for these frogs, it can be maintained automatically by a rain plant and a fog generator. These devices can be bought in specialized stores. They function thanks to a time relay - they turn on 2-3 times a day for 2-3 minutes.
Note! Frog slingshot - cannibal. It is better to keep representatives of this species alone.
How and what to feed
Itanii are carnivores. They eat small invertebrates, amphibians, and reptiles. They even eat birds and mammals. That is, they swallow everything that runs past and can fit in the jaws. Sometimes they can even eat a relative.
When kept at home, slingshots are given to eat banana and house crickets, American ones are suitable, they are often fed with zoophobas, a flour worm, as a delicacy - freshly hatched quail chicks, frogs and newborn mice.
Eatani tadpoles eat aquatic invertebrates and amphibian larvae. They, like adults, eat relatives - larger ones eat small tadpoles. In the conditions of aquarium maintenance, they are fed with cyclops, coretra and daphnia. When the tadpoles grow up, it's time to transfer them to bloodworms, tubifex and special aquarium food. Larvae do not require food, but tadpoles and small frogs need to be fed every day.
For adults, it is enough to give food 1 time in 2 days. During the mating season, slingshots are not eaten at all. Minerals must be added to the feed for both young and adult animals, suitable:
- crushed eggshell,
- calcium tablets.
Once every 30 days, concentrated vitamins should be added to the feed.
reproduction
Sexual maturity in slingshots occurs at 5-6 months. The slingshot frog breeds in the aquatic environment. Before breeding, the frogs are given a week-long dry period. During this period, they must be irradiated and given food enriched with vitamin E. Then they are transferred to a terrarium with a pond 15-20 cm deep. During the breeding season, they need enhanced aeration with a compressor with an external filter or pump.
The mating process takes several hours. The female will lay 200-350 eggs. The clutch will develop for 48 hours, the tadpoles that are born will begin to eat 2 days after hatching.
Metamorphosis occurs within 1 month. When small frogs leave the aquatic environment, they must be seated so that they do not encroach on each other, and begin to feed like adults.
In order for tadpoles to develop correctly, it is necessary to properly equip the terrarium. These should be horizontal models for tropical animals, with heating and walkways, so that at the end of metamorphosis, the babies can go to land. Tadpoles are grown at a water temperature of 24-26°C. Water must be constantly aerated and filtered with a compressor.
In order to avoid delaying the period of development and eating by some individuals of others, tadpoles should be calibrated and seated in a timely manner.
Seasonal and daily lighting and irradiation mode
The slingshot frog is active in spring, summer and autumn for 12 hours a day. All this time it is required to irradiate the frogs with UV lamps with UVB 2%. In the daytime, the lamps carry the function of irradiation, at night they also play the role of lighting devices. Erythema lamps are also suitable for irradiation. They are included three times a day for no more than 5 minutes. At this time, the frogs should be moved to a dry environment.
Additional Information
Slingshots live 9-10 years. Captive-bred Etaniums are variable in color, and there is even an albino population.
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Horned frogs have a very specific appearance and aggressive nature. This genus of tailless amphibians includes 8 species. In terrariums, you can most often find a slingshot of the species Ceratophrys ornata (“decorated slingshot”).
These amphibians live in tropical forests throughout almost the entire territory of South America. Their habitat is wet lowlands, which are soft and loose soil and full of food - other amphibians, rodents and other small animals. They are most active in the evening and at night.
Frogs got their name for small pointed outgrowths above the eyes, which are very reminiscent of horns. These outgrowths are an elongated upper eyelid, which is covered with hard keratinized skin on top. The average size of a decorated slingshot is 12-15 centimeters. Some species can reach 20 centimeters. Females are slightly larger than males.
Horns 
Impressive dimensions They have a dense spherical body and a very large head with a huge mouth. Their large and sticky tongue has a deep cut at the back. From the motley coloring ripples in the eyes: these are unusual patterns in the form of blurry spots and stripes of all colors of the rainbow. The predominant colors are green, red, brown and cream. A wide stripe runs from the muzzle across the back.
Dense spherical body 
bright coloring 
Wide stripe on the back Such a colorful camouflage is perfect for hunting in the rainforests. They burrow into the ground with their powerful hind legs. Only the head with a large mouth remains on the surface. They can sit motionless in anticipation of prey for a whole day. A mouse running past, a lightning-fast throw of a sticky tongue - and that's it, the hunt is over. The jaws of slingshots are so strong that there is no chance to escape from them. And the keratinized skin serves as an excellent protection against the teeth and claws of various rodents. A person should also be careful with her. You gape a little and a big bruise with small bruises on your finger is guaranteed.
The mouth is just huge. 
Excellent disguise 
Only the head remains on the surface They hunt other amphibians, rodents or birds. Sometimes they can swallow prey almost the same size as themselves.
Their natural breeding season is during the rainy season. Females lay about 300 eggs in the water. After 2 days, tadpoles appear from them. These are real small, but voracious predators who are not averse to having a bite to eat with their brothers and sisters.
eggs Slingshots, due to their unusual appearance and unpretentiousness in maintenance, are held in high esteem among lovers of terrarium animals.
Genus: Ceratophrys Wied-Neuwied, 1824 = Slingshots, horned frogs, itannia
Slingshots (English - "pacman frogs" in the pet trade are available decorated slingshot (Ceratophrys ornate) and Cranwell's slingshot (Ceratophrys cranwelli), as well as the Venezuelan (real) slingshot (Ceratophrys cornuta). Representatives of the genus Slingshots got their name due to the presence in some species, as, for example, the Venezuelan slingshot (C. cornuta) has large fleshy outgrowths above the eyes that resemble small horns.Decorated slingshots and Cranwell's slingshots do not have such outgrowths-horns.
The decorated slingshot and Cranwell's slingshot grow quite large, up to about 15 cm. They have pronounced sexual dimorphism in size: females are larger than males. The body of decorated slingshots is covered with bright grass-green, brown-red and yellow spots of various shapes. Cranwell's slingshots are less brightly colored, usually covered in a pattern of patches of various shades of brown. You can meet green and brown Cranwell slingshots, and even albinos among terrariumists.
The ventral side of the body is smooth, while the back is covered with small irregularly shaped fleshy outgrowths and tiny bumps. Slingshots are large and not very mobile amphibians that spend most of their time sitting in one place waiting for food. Therefore, for a small adult slingshot, a standard aquarium of about 40 liters with dimensions of 50 × 25 × 30 cm is quite enough, although it is still better to have a larger aquarium. For young slingshots, a 20-liter aquarium with an approximate size of 40 × 20 × 25 cm is enough.
Slingshots are predators in their way of life, they hunt from ambush, and therefore they spend a lot of time waiting for their prey, buried in the soil. Therefore, it is desirable to use a soft substrate in the aquarium, in which it will be easy for them to burrow. So, the coconut substrate used widely abroad looks natural, retains moisture well and allows slingshots to dig into it easily. Can be used instead of soil for young animals or for temporary housing of adults, wet paper towels or foam rubber. Although horned frogs cannot burrow into them, they are easy to clean and retain moisture well. You can also use cypress mulch, sphagnum moss and leaf litter as bedding, however, frogs on such a substrate are best fed with tweezers. This will prevent them from swallowing bits of bark or moss, which can cause unwanted problems. Gravel, sand or finely crushed bark is not recommended.
Shelters are not needed when there is a thick enough layer of soil in which the frog can burrow, otherwise they need to be built. As decoration in the terrarium, it is better to use artificial plants and driftwood, since living plants rarely live long in the terrarium, because slingshots often dig them up in search of a new hiding place. And besides, these strong amphibians can easily turn over almost any plant pot.
In a terrarium, slingshots should always be provided with water - it is better to put a large but shallow container, as they are not very good swimmers. Slingshots often use it as a toilet, so the water needs to be changed regularly. Use only spring water, purified or well settled, without chlorine and heavy metals.
Slingshots tolerate a wide range of temperatures well, but most of the time they should be kept between 24°C and 28°C. The temperature can be lowered at night. In nature, they experience fluctuations in wet and dry seasons, so they are not as sensitive to humidity levels as compared to other amphibians that are kept in captivity. Some terrariumists prefer to arrange a hibernation period for adult slingshots, when temperature and humidity decrease, and feeding stops altogether. During this period, slingshots are in hibernation, their survival depends on body fat and a slow metabolism. Due to their ability to hibernate for several months when exposed to too dry or cold conditions, they are very hardy to varying temperatures and humidity.
A low-wattage infrared incandescent light bulb can be used to heat the terrarium, or a thermal mat can be attached to the terrarium wall.
Slingshots usually have an excellent appetite. As ambush predators, they remain motionless in their hiding places most of the time until prey appears nearby. Then they jump out of their earthen pits and eat it. In nature, other frogs form the basis of their diet. In captivity, it is better to feed them with various soft-bodied invertebrates: crickets, earthworms, silkworms and other insect larvae. Young frogs are fed twice a week, but very small frogs are best fed more often, but in smaller quantities. Adult slingshots have very large mouths, their diet can consist of earthworms, cockroaches, zofobas and silkworms, and they can be fed once a week or once every two weeks, but in large quantities. During the hibernation period, slingshots can go without food for more than four months if they are well fattened before that. Adult frog food should preferably be sprinkled with reptile vitamins and mineral supplements every 2-4 meals, while young frog food should preferably be supplemented at each feeding.
Pedigree, habitat and lifestyle of the Argentine horned frog, appearance, maintenance, reproduction of itannia, diseases and interesting facts, purchase.
The content of the article:
In the world of living beings of our big planet, there is one amazing specimen - this is a horned frog. This is a frog of extraordinary beauty, which can become a very original pet. If you are a lover of everything outlandish and exotic, we can say with confidence that this is exactly what will interest you. But one should take into account the fact that patterned amphibians need careful care for them and it is not so easy to keep them.
Pedigree of the Argentine Horned Frog
The Argentine Horned Frog, also known as the Ornate Horned Frog or Itannia. It belongs to the family of the so-called Ceratophryidae - tailless amphibians. The international scientific name is also often found, namely, ceratophrys cornuta, which translates as - horned frog.
In fact, by nature they are not very colorful. All the colors, patterns and designs that exist today in these captive amphibians were bred through a process of special crossbreeding. Also, over time, horned albino frogs were bred in terrarium conditions.
The life expectancy of itannia is on average 8 to 10 years.
Habitat and lifestyle of itannia
The habitat of decorated slingshots in the wild is the lands of South America. To be more precise, these are Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Guyana, Venezuela, Suriname and Guiana. These original frogs give their preference to tropical forests with high humidity. You can meet them at an altitude of approximately 450 m above sea level.
Argentine frogs are quite inactive representatives of the anurans order. They give their preference to a nocturnal lifestyle, therefore, at night, the “frogs” are as active as possible. During the day, they often lurk in all sorts of burrows or so-called shelters, bury themselves in foliage or loose soil, but so that the head is visible. In this arrangement, horned frogs sit and wait for their prey.
Description and characteristics of the appearance of itannia
Horned, these unusual frogs were dubbed for specific upper eyelids. They are pointed and elongated, and therefore it seems that these are horns.
The base background of the Argentine frogs is mostly green, interspersed with red, orange, yellow or brown. Also, a voluminous stripe runs along the length of the entire back of these amphibians - green in the female and red-orange in the male. The rest of the body is painted in different tones, which are arranged in the form of stripes, dots and spotting. As for the abdomen, it is often yellowish-white in color with bright red speckles. In the color of the Argentine horned frogs, you can observe all sorts of options.
The length of these unusual amphibians is mainly from 7.5 to 20 cm, not including the hind limbs.
Separately, it should be noted that sexual dimorphism is noted in itannia - differences in the anatomical structure between females and males of the same biological species. If we talk specifically about decorated slingshots, then the main characteristic distinguishing feature is that females are larger in size than males.
These colorful amphibians have a rather voluminous and wide head, as well as a mouth corresponding to it in size. The tongue is rather long and sticky, and has a deep notch at the back. Even in Argentine horned frogs, warty ridges can often be found on the ossified scalp.
Of course, in truth, not everyone adequately perceives the possibility of breeding and keeping frogs at home. Many people treat such an idea with disgust and disgust. But there are also many who gladly acquire colorful frogs and, no matter how strange it may sound to someone, these exotic amphibians for many become not just pets, but real family members. Like any other pets, itannias need care and attention.
- Your frog's home. If you decide to take the Argentine slingshot as a dependent, you will need, first of all, a special horizontal terrarium, which is designed for tropical animals. The minimum volume for one amphibian should be 40 liters. Dimensions 50×35×35 cm, not including the height of the lamp. Humidity for them is not very significant. The presence and availability of a small amount of water should always be monitored.
- Content temperature. The most acceptable for the habitats of colored amphibians are the heat indicators of 26 degrees during the day and 22 degrees at night. At the very point of warming up, during the day, it should be about 32 degrees. The systematic change of day and night also plays a significant role. This procedure must be done without fail.
- Terrarium filling. Here you can show all your imagination. In the abode of the Argentine horned frogs, you can reproduce the landscape, which will resemble their habitats in nature. To do this, you can use a variety of snags. You can come up with and make shelters for your pet, place live or artificial plants in the terrarium. Here you will be suitable: ivy, small ficuses, scindapsus, etc. It makes no sense to plant new "plants" in the ground, as itannias will dig them out anyway. If we talk about the substrate, then in this case a layer of gravel, approximately 5 cm, then fresh earth of at least 10 cm, you can use moss or coconut fibers on top. It is important to remember that in no case should stones be placed in the terrarium.
- Equipment for dwelling itannia. Nowadays, you can buy a considerable amount of various equipment for terrariums. For a comfortable existence of Argentine horned frogs in captivity, a list of necessary equipment is distinguished. There are also devices that are not required to purchase, they will simply improve the comfort of your pet a little more.
- Lamps for lighting, irradiation and heating. These include fluorescent lamps, which create excellent conditions for the growth of living vegetation in the terrarium. For irradiation, you can purchase erythema lamps, they are capable of producing sufficiently strong ultraviolet radiation or quartz irradiators. Mirror or infrared lamps are suitable for heating, the latter are very useful to use at night, as the red light will not bother your pet.
- Thermal cord or thermal carpet. A thermal cord is an insulated cable inside which the heating element itself is located. It can be used both inside the terrarium and outside. With regards to the thermal carpet, this is a flat heater device, the peculiarity of which is that the heating temperature in it is distributed differently, in the center of the rug it is often a couple of degrees higher.
- Day and night thermostats. You will need thermostats to maintain the optimal temperature for the itania, as well as to control the daily rhythm. Install a thermostat inside the terrarium.
- Sprayer. In order to regulate the level of humidity, ordinary sprayers, which are sold in flower and hardware stores, will help you. This is a very simple and inexpensive option.
- Thermometer. Temperature control in the terrarium is a must for owners of decorated slingshots. Based on this, the thermometer will become an indispensable assistant for you, so its purchase will be necessary.
- Tweezers. Regardless of size, this item is necessary to facilitate the process of feeding amphibians.
- Time relay. These are the so-called timers that help control the length of daylight hours in the terrarium. They are not necessary to purchase, but are especially useful when breeding Argentine horned frogs.
- Feeder and drinker. To profit or quench the thirst of your patterned pets, products made of high-quality plastic are best suited. They come in a variety of designs, so you can purchase a feeder and drinker that will best fit into the interior of your terrarium.
- Hygrometer. It will serve as an excellent assistant for measuring humidity and is very easy to use. It is enough to attach a hygrometer to the glass of the terrarium, and you can precisely control the humidity level.
- Rain installation. This device is a small box with a pumping pump and nozzles, the box with the pump itself is installed outside, near the terrarium, and only nozzles are placed inside. The sprinkling procedure will give your horned frog a lot of pleasure.
- Fog generator. It differs from a rain machine in that it produces much smaller water droplets and, depending on the water level, the mist generator is capable of producing quite strong sprays.
- aquarium pump with filter;
- aquarium processor;
- hose for water change.
If you disassemble the frogs that are in captivity, then banana or house crickets, cockroaches, worms and zoofobs, quails or newborn mice are suitable for feeding them.
You also need to pay attention to the fact that, together with feed, it is recommended to mix bioadditives, for example, crushed egg shells. Also, no more than once a month, the use of vitamins is allowed.
Adults are mostly fed once or twice a week, but do not feed during the breeding season. They declare the so-called "marriage hunger strike".
If a decorated slingshot is not hungry or sick, you will never see it in an emaciated state, as they are incredibly voracious amphibians. On the contrary, there are often cases when frogs suffer from excess weight, which, as a rule, causes many diseases and significantly shortens the duration of their existence.
Be sure to have a vessel with clean water in the terrarium, so do not forget to carefully control this moment so that the frog can quench its thirst at any time.
Breeding Argentine Horned Frogs
Up to 6 months they become fully sexually mature. In the natural environment, the rainy season, which follows the dry period, is considered favorable for the start of reproduction of these colored amphibians.
For breeding decorated slingshots in captivity, some nuances should be taken into account. First, you will need an aquaterrarium, as they breed in water. Secondly, you need to artificially simulate the change of seasons. To begin with, amphibians need to be planted in a warm terrarium, where they often fall into a short hibernation. Then, when they are fully awake, they are irradiated with ultraviolet rays and well fed. Next, the frogs must be placed in an aquaterrarium with several land areas. The water temperature should be at least 25 degrees.
The duration of copulation is generally a few hours. The female is able to lay up to 400 eggs, and after two days tadpoles appear. During the first three days, the “youngsters” hang on the walls of the aquaterrarium, then they begin to become active and eat heavily. In the early stages, tadpoles should be fed with daphnia - these are small crustacean creatures. Next, a regular bloodworm will do.
A month later, metamorphosis occurs - a profound change in the structure of the body. Young itannias need to be seated separately so that they do not encroach on each other.
Possible diseases of Argentine horned frogs
Often these amphibians are famous for their good health, but, like all living creatures on planet Earth, they can weaken and get sick. Often, ailments can occur due to improper maintenance of slingshots.
The most common diseases of itannia:
- Obesity. Adult, mature individuals will not require such enhanced nutrition as growing slingshots. Therefore, many owners make a huge mistake and often systematically overfeed their pets. As a result, the frogs develop obesity, which in turn shortens their lifespan.
- Blindness. Oddly enough, but the cause of blindness is also the excessive nutrition of colored amphibians. When overweight, fatty deposits can accumulate on the cornea, which leads to the appearance of blindness in animals.
- Sepsis. Frogs are able to absorb liquid through their skin, so owners must seriously control the purity of the water, otherwise they expose their pet amphibians to the development of sepsis - blood poisoning. Symptoms of this disease are: clouding in the eyes, causeless chaotic jumps and impaired coordination. For your frog to recover, you will need to place it in a small tray of clean water and change the fluid every 4 hours.
- bacterial infections. The immune system of decorated slingshots is strong enough, so they are able to resist various bacteria. But if the body is stressed and weakened, infections can occur. Increased shedding, redness of the belly, loss of appetite are all signs of bacterial infections. In this case, you need to contact your veterinarian for proper treatment. In no case should you self-medicate.
- Dropsy. Prevention and specific causes of dropsy does not exist. Basically, the frogs start to swell because the body stops excreting fluid, and then your pet becomes like a bag filled with water. At the slightest suspicion of dropsy, it is necessary to take the animal to the veterinarian and receive proper treatment.
Interesting facts about Argentine slingshots
There are some moments in the life of colored frogs that not many owners know about. The owners of amphibians often mistakenly believe that tree frogs are harmless and peaceful animals, from which you should not expect the slightest danger. But there are cases when it is the Argentine slingshots, which are so cute in appearance, capable of biting quite strongly and seriously. With their jaw-like teeth, they can inflict bloody wounds on a person.
There is a legend that says that Argentine frogs have the ability to take the life of a horse. To do this, it is enough for them to climb onto her lips.
Slingshots are best kept separate from each other, as they are known cannibals and rarely miss the opportunity to feast on their relative.
Buying a patterned frog
Of course, when you decide to buy an itannia, in the first place, as when buying any other animal, pay special attention to the appearance and behavior of the frog. There should be no erythema on the abdomen, also look closely so that there is no edema on the body, and the limbs are active.
The price of slingshots on average ranges from 3 to 15 thousand rubles. Basically, it depends on the variety of colors and patterns on the body of the animal.
More information about the horned frog in this video:
