If you are a beginner in frog keeping, a Pacman frog is an ideal choice to start with. This pet is not only entertaining to watch but also low maintenance and inexpensive to keep. Whether you should bathe your Pacman frog or not, we understand it is a matter of concern that requires your attention.
So, should I bathe my Pacman frog? You shouldn’t bathe your Pacman frog since it is capable of bathing itself without your intervention. Pacman frogs can go into aestivation mode and become dormant from time to time. When this happens, it is okay to give them a lukewarm bath to wake them up, but this is unnecessary as they will come back to active mode by themselves.
If you want to know how to hydrate and clean your Pacman frog, this is the ultimate guide for you. We will help you know how to bathe, soak and mist a Pacman frog and whether they need a water bowl. Read through the rest of the sections for everything you need to know.
How Do You Bathe a Pacman Frog?
Pacman frogs are semi-aquatic, and, in the wild, they will bathe themselves when the need arises. In captivity, you should mimic life in the wild by allowing your pet to do most of its natural activities, including bathing. Bathing your frog regularly may damage its protective layer of skin, making it prone to infections.
To bathe your Pacman frog, fill a bowl with water; in that, the water level should be below your frog’s chin to ensure it breathes as you bathe it. If you doubt the water levels, you can put your frog first in the bowl and add water until this level. The water should be lukewarm and from a trusted source. You can cover your pet with a towel as it bathes, especially if you are cleaning its enclosure to avoid startling it with your movements.
While it is advisable to allow nature to take its course even in captivity, you may need to bathe your frog once in a while to encourage cleanliness and bowel movement. Most owners prefer to do this when they are cleaning their pet’s enclosure or changing the substrate.
How Do You Soak Pacman Frogs?
Like other frog species, a Pacman frog will experience impaction, a form of constipation, if it eats substrate while catching its prey. The small gravel can freely pass through their tract, but the larger ones will block their intestines. To relieve your frog of the impaction, you need to soak it in water.
To soak your Pacman frog, you should use lukewarm water from a reliable source. Put the water in a bowl and place your frog in it, ensuring its nostrils are above the water level for it to breathe properly.
You can add a few drops of honey to aid in bowel movement. Massaging the back area, back of your frog’s legs, and its squidgy parts on the sides will further aid this movement. These massages and soaking will also help in shedding tough skin from your frog.
Since soaking is helpful when getting rid of impaction, understanding the symptoms of impaction is crucial to tell when to soak your frog. These symptoms include a lack of appetite that lasts more than a week, straining to poop, and regularly climbing into the water bowl, which is uncommon for Pacman frogs.
If you notice these signs, you can handle your frog and feel its abdomen. You will feel something hard moving around an impacted frog’s abdomen, and you should soak it if it is not willingly getting into the water bowl.
After relieving your frog of impaction, you should rid its enclosure of factors such as clay and other soil types which cause impaction. You should also check your frog’s diet and avoid feeding it larger insects and those with hard exoskeletons. As a thumb rule, the insects should not be larger than the width between its eyes. Hard exoskeletons are difficult to digest; hence, the impaction.
While bathing or soaking your Pacman frog, understand that frogs do not like human handling. Thus, you should read your frog’s cues as you handle it to prevent extreme aggression that may prompt it to bite you. If your pet is aggressive, leave it to soak in the water without the massages.
How Often Should I Mist My Pacman Frog?
Pacman frogs are terrestrial amphibians and will spend most of their time in humid environments. In captivity, you should supply these conditions by misting your frog’s enclosure often. Humidity levels above 50% are suitable to prevent dry skin and maintain good health.
To maintain ideal humidity for your Pacman Frog’s survival, you should mist it and its terrarium at least twice a day. You should mist everything in its enclosure until they are damp but not wet. This includes its substrate, plants, and décor items. You can fill your spray bottle with dechlorinated water to mist the tank after which you should watch the terrarium and ensure the glass fogs up, as a sign of high humidity.
Misting requires the use of quality water since frogs have semi-permeable skin, and any toxins will easily seep through and cause systemic damage. Thus, avoid water containing fluoride, chlorine, or ammonia, as they could cause your pet to fall ill. You should also avoid distilled water, as it lacks natural minerals essential for your frog’s health.
Using a humidifier to raise humidity or a fogging system such as a ReptiFogger is an ideal way of misting your frog’s enclosure. Fill this device with water and direct the fog to your frog’s enclosure. You can connect the ReptiFogger to a timer to ensure the terrarium gets fogged at regular intervals. Misting the substrate will also keep the enclosure humid.
To check whether the substrate is humid enough, grab a handful and squeeze it, and if it stays clumped, it is humid, and you can turn off the fogging system. If the substrate is dry, it will crumble apart, and if too wet, it will drip water.
Do Pacman Frogs Need a Water Bowl?
Since Pacman frogs are terrestrial frogs, they do not live in water or enjoy swimming. However, they need a humid environment to prevent dehydration; hence, survive. This is achievable through regular misting of its enclosure.
Pacman frogs do not need a water bowl if the humidity levels in their terrarium are high. The substrate should equally be misted and damp. Higher temperatures and low humidity will cause sluggishness and affect your pet’s appetite.
To ensure the right conditions in your frog’s enclosure, you should invest in a high-quality hygrometer and thermometer. You should set your thermometer and hygrometer in strategic locations in the terrarium to monitor the temperatures and humidity levels.
To aid in the temperature readings, you can have a digital display at the entrance of the terrarium. You should also check your devices regularly to ensure they are not faulty, especially if your frog displays signs of distress.
While Pacman frogs do not necessarily need water bowls in their enclosures, you can supply one for occasional soaking. In captivity, Pacman frogs are prone to impaction and can go for days without pooping. Therefore, providing these bowls for your frog to soak in will aid bowel movement and relieve constipation. Also, regular soaking will prevent dry skin and help your frog with its shedding process.
If you choose to supply water bowls to your frog, ensure it is high-quality water, free of minerals and toxins, preferably tap water from a trusted source. You should also change the water daily to ensure they have access to clean water.
Frogs rarely drink water but will absorb it through their skin, especially the skin on their lower abdomen and thighs, which is why it should be clean. The water bowl should also be sizable depending on your frog’s size, and the water level should be correct to avoid drowning your frog.
Finally
Pacman frogs are terrestrial frogs and do not require water bowls or ponds to swim in captivity. To compensate for their water needs, you should ensure high humidity levels in your frog’s terrarium for survival.
You can ensure this by installing a misting system or manually mist the enclosure using a spray bottle at least two times a day. The substrate, décor, and plants in the terrarium should also be damp but not wet for your pet’s survival.
Despite providing humid conditions, Pacman frogs require regular bathing or soaking. This is particularly necessary in case of impaction. Impactions occur if your frog eats a larger insect, an insect with a hard exoskeleton, or ingests some substrate while eating its prey.
To relieve your pet of impaction, you should soak it in water containing a few drops of honey. You can massage your frog’s back during soaking to further aid the bowel movement; with time, your pet should be able to relieve itself afterward.
Finally, since Pacman frogs do not necessarily require water bowls, you should invest in a thermometer and hygrometer to check the temperature and humidity levels in their enclosure. You can also automate the fogging system with a timer to mist the enclosure at regular intervals.
