Real Brazilian Horned Frog?

[ChasingBike]

Hello,everyone.Recently I have found a special looking horned frog in the local exotic pet shop.The seller told me it was a Brazilian Horned Frog.I am not sure,the price is very high.What do you guys think?Is it A Brazilian Horned Frog which could get really big?(10inches)

[nok1888]

Couldn't imagine a 10" frog lol

Grifthegreat posted a photo in photo of the month and it's a Brazilian horned frog and it's the spitting image o the one you've got m8

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[danfrog]

C. Aurita

[Mentat]

Never seen a 10 in. C. aurita photo or video. Think the females will get as big as female Ornates; so around 6 in. SVL. If thinking to get it; would ask if wild caught or from captive bred stock. Reason is, the latter have a greater chance of doing well in captivity .

[danfrog]

I was under the impression that auritas are the largest pacman frogs.

[GrifTheGreat]

Hi and welcome to the forum. Please note that any photos that are not yours must have the source credited. I had to remove the one above because the watermark had clearly been covered.

C. aurita (Brazilian Horned Frogs) are very rare in the pet trade, hence the high price. Brazil banned the export of its native species a couple decades ago. These are one of the most sought species because of their rarity, bright colors, and potential size. These are said to be the largest of the eight species. But as Mentat mentioned, I have never seen a verified picture of one that large. Size of any of these frogs vary between individuals.

I have two Auritas and they are great frogs! (One of them is my avatar picture.) If you are willing to pay the higher price then they are definitely worth it. I would note that sometimes Joazeirensis (Caatinga Horned Frogs) are sometimes sold as Auritas. These are also from Brazil but they are somewhat easier to get and not as pricey. I would verify which one the pet store has.

[ChasingBike]

Hi and welcome to the forum. Please note that any photos that are not yours must have the source credited. I had to remove the one above because the watermark had clearly been covered.

C. aurita (Brazilian Horned Frogs) are very rare in the pet trade, hence the high price. Brazil banned the export of its native species a couple decades ago. These are one of the most sought species because of their rarity, bright colors, and potential size. These are said to be the largest of the eight species. But as Mentat mentioned, I have never seen a verified picture of one that large. Size of any of these frogs vary between individuals.

I have two Auritas and they are great frogs! (One of them is my avatar picture.) If you are willing to pay the higher price then they are definitely worth it. I would note that sometimes Joazeirensis (Caatinga Horned Frogs) are sometimes sold as Auritas. These are also from Brazil but they are somewhat easier to get and not as pricey. I would verify which one the pet store has.

Thanks for all you guys' replies,I am sorry about the pic,the seller gave me the pic,the reason why I covered the watermark(it's not a logo,it's the way to contact with the seller) is that in my country's reptile forums Commercials are banned and the moderator would delete the thread.And do you think it is a Brazilian Horned Frog?I can't tell the exact difference between Caatingas and Auritas.The price is very high(about 1000dollars because of being exported),but I may buy it if I am sure it is a Aurita.I have seen your album,the frogs are all doing great!

[ChasingBike]

C. Aurita

Thanks for your reply.

[ChasingBike]

I was under the impression that auritas are the largest pacman frogs.

I have also heard it would get very big,but I have never seen a pic that could show the size had been described.

[ChasingBike]

Thanks.I just saw Grif's albums about Aurita,I think they are the same species.

[GrifTheGreat]

Thanks for all you guys' replies,I am sorry about the pic,the seller gave me the pic,the reason why I covered the watermark(it's not a logo,it's the way to contact with the seller) is that in my country's reptile forums Commercials are banned and the moderator would delete the thread.And do you think it is a Brazilian Horned Frog?I can't tell the exact difference between Caatingas and Auritas.The price is very high(about 1000dollars because of being exported),but I may buy it if I am sure it is a Aurita.I have seen your album,the frogs are all doing great!

No problem.
If the frog being sold is the same one as in the photo, then yes it is an Aurita. Have you seen it in person? You might see if they will let you take your own picture and post it here. Let us know if you end up getting it!

[ChasingBike]

No problem.
If the frog being sold is the same one as in the photo, then yes it is an Aurita. Have you seen it in person? You might see if they will let you take your own picture and post it here. Let us know if you end up getting it!

That is the one which they are selling,I didn't ask the seller if I could take a photo,coz I give up buying it for two reasons,first,the price is very high for me,secondly I don't think the seller is taking very good care of it,they feed feeder fish and roaches as the staple food,also they feed him mice frequently and use sponge as the substrate.

[Hypnotic]

Feeder fish are a tough subject, most people steer clear of them but if the guppies are raised right, they can be fed. But personally, no thanks :P
I've heard of sponge as a substrate, I'm not sure on how well it does but I can tell you, it's not natural for a frog, and if it's not natural, it can lead to stress.
I can imagine 1000$ is a big amount to drop for a frog, but if it's really a Aurita, they should be able to find someone to buy it.

[ChasingBike]

Feeder fish in China definitely carries more parasites due to the dirty water people using to raise them.Sponge is not good in my mind for 3 reasons.First owners would have to wash the sponge and change the water every day or every other day,or bacteria would breed very quickly which may cause pacman edema,also the frequent washing would disturb and stress the frogs).Secondly,frogs like burrowing,there is nothing to burrow if using the sponge, then they may destroy the sponge and get hurt.Thirdly,using sponge would make it harder for a new pacman to adjust themselves.

[Hypnotic]

That's absolutely right. Honestly, if they raise the feeder fish with dirty water, I wouldn't even pay 50$ for the frog, since he's probably going to end up dead anyway.
It looks like an illegal import that has fallen into the hands of idiots.

[ChasingBike]

They doesn't breed feeder fish themselves,they buy them from other places which I know there is no place using treated and clean water for those cheap fish in China,then they put those fish into cleaner water for about 1 week then feed pacmans.However,I don't think this would help a lot.

[Hypnotic]

Your right, it doesn't. Lol, I can't believe they actually bother with keeping them in clean water for a week.

[Mentat]

Not sure what are your countries live animal import laws; but for that amount of money ($1K) you could consider a trip to US, short vacation, grabbing 1/2 dozen from reputable seller when available (do all arrangements from China and check airlines animal rules with one you are flying with). Then you sell the ones not keeping, at let's say $500 a piece, when back home to defray trip and other costs .

[ChasingBike]

LOL..That's a good idea,but the procedure is too complicated......haha

[Mentat]

LOL..That's a good idea,but the procedure is too complicated......haha

Yes it is; local animal importation laws can be a nightmare to navigate ! In USA it's very expensive to import for commercial use; but you can bring in couple fish or small animals with you in plane as long airline OKs and they are not protected and listed in CITES .