Pacman Frog Temperature Requirements – The Complete Guide
Pacman frogs are gentle and delicate little pets. And what they are extremely dependable on is the temperature level inside their terrariums.
In order for every owner being able of providing ideal conditions to their pets, here comes the complete guide about Pacman frog temperature necessities.
Ideal Temperature for Pacman Frogs
The ideal temperature is the one that replicates well the outside weather of tropical and subtropical areas of the planet.
- The ideal temperature for horned frogs during the day ranges from 75 to 80 °F (or 24 to 26 °C).
- During nighttime, they should be slightly lower, ideally from 65 to 70 °F (or 18 to 21 °C).
It is important to offer them twelve hours of daily temperatures (with daily lightning) combined with twelve hours of night ones. That way their life cycles can be optimal in captivity.
Pacman Frog Minimum Temperature
The universal golden rule here is to never ever allow the terrarium temperature to drop below 65 °F or 18 °C.
If the temperature gets colder than that, your pet will definitely go into estivation. This means it will create new layers of skin but without shedding it. Such dry skin cocoon which gets created around your pet is trying to keep both humidity and heat under it.
Additionally, it will stop eating when it is too cold. Not only because frogs become lethargic, but also because their bodies are simply not able to digest food under that temperatures.
If low temperatures persist, they will stay in estivation until it gets warmer or until they die.
Pacman Frog Maximum Temperature
On the other side of extreme conditions, daily temperatures should never go above 86 °F or 30 °C.
If something like that happens, your Pacman will be seriously life-endangered and will do all it takes to cool down. It will most likely bury into the substrate and collect moisture from it, allowing such moisture to evaporate through the skin.
This phenomenon is called evaporative cooling and is often a real lifesaver for frogs. However, it can only work when there is enough humidity in the terrarium. So, this is another environmental condition which every owner must be really careful about.
How to Keep a Stable Temperature?
Now that we defined which temperature ranges are necessary and how important they are to maintain, let us briefly suggest how to keep them stable.
First of all, it is crucially important to place a high-quality thermometer inside the terrarium. There are several types available, but the best are those which are specialized for amphibian enclosures. Such gadgets can easily be found in every better pet store.
Before choosing your kind, it would be good to pick one that doubles as a hygrometer. That way you will be able of measuring temperature and humidity levels at the same time.
The most suitable place where to attach the thermometer is at the very middle of the enclosure. You want it away from all heaters and bulbs, to get the exact measurement.
Secondly, a suitable heating source is necessary. Most owners nowadays choose to heat their terrariums with the help of heating mats. They are an inexpensive and globally available solution.
Additionally, heat pads are super simple to set, as they can be simply sticked on the bottom of the tank. Pacman owners, however, like to place heat pads on the back side of the tank.
Pacmans are burrowers and it can sometimes happen for them to dig down to the very bottom of the tank, burning themselves over the heating mat.
Other owners prefer the use of heating bulbs, which additionally emit light, too. They are placed at the very top of the terrariums, but often tend to dry out the enclosure quite quickly. This will, consequentially, require misting activities even more often.
Whatever heat source you decide to choose for your pet Pacman, it is vitally important to follow all guidance when installing it. Also, regularly checking the temperature level is a must, as well as adjusting it whenever it gets out of the optimal range.
Do Pacman Frogs Hibernate in Low Temperatures?
Horned frogs do not hibernate as per the definition. However, as explained a few lines above, they do enter in a state called estivation, which is quite similar to hibernation.
When the temperature is too low, they will bury themselves as deep as they can, breathing under the dry skin cocoon and waiting for the temperature to go up again. This is normal in their natural habitats, but not that usual in captivity.
When they are in the wild, for example, they have enough time to prepare for winter by eating more several weeks before entering estivation. Additionally, they will completely stop eating a couple of days before, to make sure there is no food left inside their bodies.
So, if the temperature was high one day and low the other, it means your frog will not be able to digest the food inside it. This can seriously harm their health.
Do Pacman Frogs Die of Overheating?
As they can die from low temperatures, Pacman frogs can eventually die of overheating, too.
This will not happen in a day or two but keeping your pet under too hot temperatures from the recommended ones can bring to serious health complications. And, eventually, to death.
Additionally, if there is not enough humidity or proper ventilation in their enclosures, they might not be able to perform the evaporating cooling. But even if they do, this is just an action which helps them to temporarily cool down.
If the high temperatures proceed to last for several days, this could certainly bring to the death of your little and sensitive pet.
Wrapping Up
If you already own a Horned frog, you surely know how sensitive those tiny colorful pets are. However, if you are still thinking of getting one, do not be frightened from this article.
Once owners get to know the basic requirements (which are, to be honest, quite simple), living with a Pacman frog is pure fun.