Pacman Frog
Amphibian
The Pacman frog, also called the horned frog, is a round, ground-dwelling amphibian native to South America and one of the most commonly kept pet frogs in the US. It's a sit-and-wait ambush predator that spends most of its time buried in substrate, so it's fed live insects delivered close by rather than left to forage, with gut-loaded roaches forming the core of a healthy diet.
What to Feed
Dubia roaches are a genuine dietary staple at every life stage — froglets, juveniles, and adults can all be fed roaches sized to their mouth. They're relatively soft-bodied, low in fat, and easier to digest than harder-shelled feeders, which matters for an animal prone to impaction. Earthworms are commonly used alongside roaches for variety. Mealworms and superworms are not staple feeders — care sheets consistently list them as occasional treats only, since both have a chitinous exoskeleton that's tougher to digest, and superworms can bite and injure a slow-moving frog if left uneaten. Reserve superworms for adult frogs only, a worm or two at a time; mealworms can be offered occasionally but shouldn't replace roaches as the base diet. Always size prey to the frog's mouth — Pacman frogs will attempt to swallow prey too large for them.
Feeding Schedule
- Froglet/juvenile (up to ~6 months): daily to every other day, as much Small dubia roach nymphs (about 50/week) as taken in one sitting
- Sub-adult: every 2–3 days as growth slows — Medium dubia roach nymphs (about 50/week) work well here
- Adult: 1–2 times per week with Large dubia roach nymphs (about 25–50/week); some keepers space to every 2 weeks for obesity-prone frogs — watch body shape, round but not bulging
Gut-Loading & Dusting
Gut-load feeders 24–48 hours before offering. Dust with calcium (no D3) every feeding for froglets/juveniles, every other feeding for adults. Dust with calcium+D3 or a reptile multivitamin about once a week (some keepers: every other week to twice a month). This species is nocturnal/fossorial and typically kept without UVB, so dietary D3 is its primary D3 source — don't skip it, but avoid D3 at every single feeding.
Common Mistakes
- Feeding oversized prey — the leading cause of impaction/regurgitation; keep prey no wider than the mouth
- Overfeeding — heavy ambush eaters prone to obesity, especially on fatty feeders
- Relying on mealworms/superworms as the base diet — harder to digest, superworms can bite; remove leftovers
- Skipping D3 on the "reptiles need UVB" assumption — this species usually has none, so dietary D3 does that job