The horned frog is an amphibian. The so-called amphibious means that the life of the horned frog needs to have both water and land, the horned frog larvae - tadpoles must live in the water, and the adults need to live in the wet environment near the water. This way of life is the horned frog in the process of biological evolution, horned frogs are from the water life to land life in the evolution of the formation of transitional taxa. Horned frog larvae live in the water, however, the adults adapted to land life by developing from gill respiration to respiration by lungs and skin, losing their tails in appearance and forming limbs. By water in amphibious, we mean fresh water, and cannot survive in seawater. Therefore, a dry, waterless, direct sunlight environment is impossible for horned frogs to survive. Most of the horned frog species are active at night and hide in secluded places during the day to protect themselves from the hot sun and enemies.
Adult horned frogs live in moist environments near water, and the specific living conditions vary from one horned frog to another. There are three types of horned frogs, namely, aquatic, terrestrial and arboreal. The aquatic type can be divided into still-water, running-water and turbulent-water types, while the terrestrial type can be divided into stream-side, grassy, and soil-burrowing types, and the arboreal type will not be further subdivided. Several types of horned frogs to be introduced in this book, such as bullfrogs, American green and tiger-striped horned frogs, and black-spotted horned frogs, belong to the still-water type, spiny-breasted horned frogs belong to the stream-side type, and Chinese forest horned frogs belong to the grassy type. Different types of horned frogs live in different amphibious environments, and their body structures and habits are adapted to the environment.
The body color of the horned frog is a kind of protective color, which is usually similar to the color of the environment, so that it can protect itself from being detected by enemies. Horned frogs in plant thickets are predominantly green and mottled. For example, forest horned frogs are green, spiny-thoracic horned frogs are brown, and bullfrogs lighten their body color in bright environments.
Horned frog larvae - Tadpoles live in the water and breathe through gills. In the early stage, the tadpoles breathe through external gills, which are located on both sides of the head and have three branches each. In the later stage, the external gills of tadpoles disappear and become 4 pairs of internal gills. When earthworms metamorphose into young frogs, the internal gills disappear and a pair of sac-like lungs are produced, which can breathe oxygen from the air. However, the structure of the lungs is simple, the oxygen absorbed by the lungs can not meet the needs of the frog, so it is necessary to use the skin to breathe oxygen, oxygen absorbed by the skin, accounting for about 40% of the total respiratory capacity, and the carbon dioxide exhaled mainly by the skin. Especially in the hibernation period, almost all of them rely on the skin for respiration. The necessary condition for skin respiration is that the skin is moist; dry skin cannot exchange gases. This is the reason why frogs prefer to live near water, in moist, cool environments. There are at least six subspecies of horned frogs, the most common of which is the bell-horned frog (C. ornata), followed by the South American horned frog. The most expensive is the Amazonian Horned Frog (C. conuta), also known as the Bully Horned Frog. It is worth thousands of RMB. The native habitats of each subspecies of the horned frog are separate and almost completely non-overlapping, so they are able to maintain their separate body colors. However, because of artificial hybridization and improvement, many other variations of body color have been developed, making it increasingly difficult to distinguish between subspecies.
Ornate Horned frog (Argentine Horned frog)
Green Horned Frog Ceratophrys cranwelli
Suriname Horned Frog Ceratophrys cornuta
Brazilian Horned Frog Ceratophrys cornuta
The Brazilian Horned Frog Ceratophrys cornuta
The Brazilian Horned Frog Ceratophrys cornuta
Brazilian Horned Frog Ceratophrys auritaColombian Horned Frog Ceratophrys calcarata
Peruvian Horned Frog Ceratophrys stolzmanni
Prairie Horned Frog Ceratophrys joazeirensis
Ecuadorian Horned Frog Ceratophrys testudo
Of these, the Prairie Horned Frog and the Ecuadorian Horned Frog are difficult to find on the market because they are found in small numbers. The native habitats of each species of horned frog are separate and do not overlap at all, so each species is able to maintain its own body coloration. However, because of the many variations in coloration, artificial crossbreeding and improvement have developed many other variations in body coloration, which, together with albino individuals, have made it more and more difficult to distinguish the correct species. The most common hybrid on the market is the male Green Horned Frog mated with the female King Horned Frog. They are called Butterfly Horned Frogs and are very similar in appearance to the King Horned Frogs, except that their chins are white with black spots like the Green Horned Frogs, unlike the King Horned Frogs with black chins, so they can be recognized accordingly. Many of the South American Horned Frogs on the market today are hybrids, so the term South American Horned Frog is purely a generic term. Horned Frogs are a good choice for novice amphibian keepers, but for owners who are afraid of frequent water changes and cleanups, it's best not to think about it. This species is also not a good choice for those who want to enjoy the fun of their pets moving around. However, if you like to enjoy the artwork, it's a different story, as the Horned Frog spends most of its day meditating and contemplating.