Pacman Frog Burrowing – The Complete Guide

Whether you own a Pacman frog already, or you are thinking of getting one as a pet, you have probably noticed there are many talks about how lazy they can get sometimes. To help easing any doubts, here comes a complete guide about Pacman frog burrowing activities.

Pacmans generally like spending most of their days buried or half-buried below substrates of moist. Most of the times, owners can only see the tiny “horns” of their frogs.

This can be really cute sometimes, but it can also bring many owners to worrying about the health of their colorful pets.

So, let us start with defining why they bury themselves in the first place.

Why is My Pacman Frog Burrowing?

There can be several reasons for that, so the best way to find that out is by closely monitoring your pet and understanding his or her triggers.

For instance, young frogs or frogs that just got adopted into a new home tend to bury themselves quite often. At least, until they get comfortable around their owners, but also to the newly imposed environment. So, we could conclude here that one of the first reasons for burrowing is being young and shy.

Secondly, they can be simply lazy most of the time. Pacmans are not active hunters, but they prefer waiting for the prays to come along. And when it comes to waiting, they love doing it from the comfort of their substrate.

Spending time in such position makes them feel safer but also to be less visible (both to potential prays but also to natural predators). Once their meal comes along and is close enough to their huge mouths, Pacmans will catch them in a blink of an eye. What an ambush, right?

Finally, another extremely important reason which leads to Pacman frogs burrowing is temperature and moist control. They spend their lives under hot and particularly humid weather conditions. Additionally, frogs breathe through their skin.

That is why, when temperatures are quite high, Pacmans tend to bury themselves to get somehow of a cooling system. Often misting activities are essential because moist substrates will help them to breathe normally.

Most of Pacmans will get out during nighttime, when temperatures get slightly lower and there is less noise around them. They will feed, stretch, and soak into water.

However, they will not go crazy with various activities when not buried… they are still lazy little creatures.

How Deep do Pacman Frogs Bury Themselves?

Most of the times, they tend to bury their entire body or to leave their “horns” sticking out. So, depending on the size of your pet frog, a few inches (optimally 2 to 3) of substrate are more than enough.

The crucial thing here is to always keep their substrate moist and clean. At all times.

How Long Can Pacman Frogs Stay Buried?

Generally speaking, they can stay buried as long as they do not get hungry.

Adult Pacmans can stay buried for weeks sometimes, especially when they are stressed or when there are no right temperature and humidity levels.

Although the ideal and most healthy option is for them to be buried during the days and more active during the night, owners often share experiences about their frogs being buried for several days.

So, there is unfortunately no universal rule, but it all depends on various factors. The most important thing here is to always check if your pet is healthy and if it has all the necessary requirements. If that is all in order, your Pacman is probably just shy or lazy. Or both.

Should You Dig Up Your Pacman Frog?

If your pet is buried for some time already, it is necessary to check some basic health conditions before deciding to dig it up.

For instance, if your pet has eaten three days ago, but is now buried and has no visible signs of health issues, it is ok to dig it up. Obviously, you do need to clean his terrarium regularly and to change their moist substrates when the time comes. If you skip that, you could seriously harm your frog health.

On the other side, if you notice that they are buried but also avoid eating for some time now, it is a clear sign that something is wrong with them. Additionally, if you also happen to notice that their skin is harder than it was before, be sure that either humidity or temperature levels are not suitable.

In that case, the best is to leave your pet where it is. Handling your frog while it is in a state of estivation can only seriously harm it. Instead of digging it up, make sure to improve all necessary conditions and it should come out on its own after some time.

If you have doubts about your pet’s health, please consult your veterinarian before taking actions on your own.

What to Do If Your Pacman Frog Won’t Burrow?

If your Pacman is not burrowing itself, it probably means that it is either too hot in the terrarium or that the substrate is not suitable for it.

Please make sure not to go above the suggested temperatures, or your pet will not have any reason to bury and chill.

Additionally, make sure that their substrate is always impeccably clean. And obviously, choose the right kind.

Coconut fiber is one of the favorite choices among many frog owners, as it keeps moisture very well and is totally safe. Another important thing to keep an eye on is that substrate is moist but not soaking wet.

Wrapping Up

Pacman frog burrowing activities are sometimes a real interesting source of entertainment for the entire family. They can be funny to observe while doing it, but it is also important for each owner to be well aware of the reasons why they are doing it.

That way, you can be sure when such activities are completely natural and when they are caused by an unsuitable environment. With our complete guide, you should be able to understand the basics and apply them successfully to your pet’s happy life.