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Encyclopedia / Frogs & Newts / Budgett's frog
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Variations

2 kinds · tap one for a closer look

Budgett's frog

Lepidobatrachus laevis · Hippo frog, Wide-mouthed frog, Budgett, Ceratophrys relative, Freshwater pacman

An aggressive ambush predator that eats anything it can swallow, including tankmates; keep alone in shallow water with soft substrate and a very secure lid.

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10 cmAdult size ✓
UnknownTemperature ?
UnknownpH ?
60 LSmallest tank ✓
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Tank mates
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This one is best kept on its own, or with its own kind.

Not recommended
  • Budgett's frog should be kept without other species.
Not recommended
  • Budgett's frog should be kept without other species.
Not recommended
  • Budgett's frog should be kept without other species.
Facts checked against sources on 16 Oct 2026. ✓ means a source backs it; ? means no reliable source yet. See sources

Care and water

Hardness ?Unknown
Group size ✓Can live alone
Temperament ✓Aggressive
Swims at ?Bottom
Care level ?Hard
Diet Carnivore
Lifespan ?Unknown
Size in shops 3–5 cm
Growth Medium

Behavior

An aggressive ambush predator that eats anything it can swallow, including tankmates; keep alone in shallow water with soft substrate and a very secure lid.

Food

Thawed fish, shrimp, earthworms and large insects; do not overfeed.

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Male or female

Females are much larger (males may be only about half their size); mature males have a dark blue-black throat.

Health

Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.

Breeding

Egg-scatterer ·

In the wild it spends the dry season buried in a cocoon of shed skin and breeds in temporary pools formed by the summer rains (October-February); embryos develop very fast and the tadpoles are carnivorous and cannibalistic from hatching.

Pairing

Needs a sexed pair; they are solitary.

Setup

80-120 L shallow tank with soft sand.

What starts it

Cool, dry rest then flooding.

Eggs

Up to about 1,400 eggs in one spawning; tadpoles are cannibalistic and develop fast (about two weeks to the froglet stage per Wikipedia).

Raising the fry

Cannibalistic tadpoles need constant feeding.

Common mistakes
  • Keeping with other animals
  • Overfeeding
  • Deep water
Full breeding guide, day-by-day plan and simulator →

Where it lives in the wild

RegionGran Chaco – Argentina, Paraguay & Bolivia
Rivers and lakesGran Chaco seasonal pools
HabitatSeasonal pools that dry out in the dry season
Native rangeAbout 600 km across
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The story of the budgett's frog

A big-mouthed, aggressive frog of the Gran Chaco (Paraguay, Bolivia and northern Argentina) that shrieks and bites when threatened and survives the dry season buried in a cocoon of shed skin.

British zoologist John Samuel Budgett described this frog in 1899. It lives in the Gran Chaco, where it spends the dry season buried in mud. It is popular as a pet for its large mouth and bold behaviour.

First described by John Samuel Budgett in 1899.

  • It can scream loudly when threatened.
  • It buries itself in mud during dry seasons.
  • It has a very large mouth.

Sources

14 facts checked with sources