Did you know Pacman frogs shed? I sure didn’t. But it makes sense, right? I mean, their skin is constantly growing. They must get rid of the old stuff to make room for the new.
Pacman frogs are one of those amphibian species that sheds its skin periodically, and it’s a pretty amazing process. During this time, the frog becomes very inactive, taking anywhere from a few hours to a few days. Don’t worry, it’s very much normal.
In this blog post, we’ll take a closer look at how pacman frogs shed their skin and what you can expect to see during the process. Stay tuned!
Why do Pacman frogs shed?
No matter how surprising it looks, shedding is a normal process of the Pacman frog. Various reasons drive them to do this. If you want to know more then I’ve elaborated in deep down below.
Let’s see what those are…
Not enough food
Pacman frog’s natural defense is skin shed. They do it when they feel hungry. Which indicates they need food. So to protect themselves, they cover themselves with a thick outlet layer of skin.
To stay hydrated
I know it’s a bit tricky to maintain the humidity level of your Pacman frogs terrarium all the time. Adding to that, ensuring the substrate has an ample amount of moisture also takes a bit of effort.
But if both humidity levels go down and the substrate loses its moisture, the frog will enter into a survival mood. It will start forming skin to keep itself perfectly hydrated and from drying out.
How to identify your pacman frog is shedding?
Shedding is a part of Pacman frogs life. They will continue to shed after a few days while they are in a fully healthy state.
So how will you find out when your Pacman frog is ready to start the shedding process? Thanks to some external indications which will help you to identify the shedding time.
When you notice your frog is getting a cloudy look that means he/she is about to start the skin shedding. Another sign is when you see your frog with an open mouth which resembles yawning; it indicates the shedding process too.
You might be puzzled as to why it keeps its mouth open, right? The answer is they’re gonna push the dead & dry skin forward so that they can eat it.
One more thing you might know is to keep yourself from extra stress. Your frog buddy won’t eat any other food during the shedding process. So don’t worry about their appetite. Let them complete the natural process smoothly.
The frequency of Pacman frogs shedding
If you are petting a South American horned man frog for the first time, you may find it a bit weird that like other amphibians and reptiles they also go through the skin shed process.
Compared to young and adult Pacman frogs, the baby frog will have frequent sheds. It’s part of their development process. Your baby frog can do it every other day or even day but there’s nothing to worry about.
On the other hand, an adult Pacman frog can do it weekly one time only.
Length of Pacman frog shedding
The normal shedding process of a Pacman frog will require a couple of days. However, you should have a close look at them to make sure they are not making it longer than the normal range.
Is shedding too painful for Pacman frogs?
To some pet owners, it might seem like a painful process as they keep themselves in a crunching position, immobile and opening their mouths. But the real story is far from what you are thinking.
The entire process of skiing shedding is quite slow. On top of that, they do it without hassle using their legs. And the extra skin comes off swiftly as they are a bit cloudy-like. However, though this is not painful, if your cute frog gets a skin infection that would be highly painful for them as they are highly sensitive.
How can skin shed benefit your Pacman frog?
Nothing happens in nature without a specific benefit. Specifically, the shedding of amphibian-like Pacman frogs provides enormous benefits and these are the following…
Skin is full of nutrient
The recycling process of the Pacman frog is amazing. These amazing creatures not only shed skin but also eat which is a good source of nutrients plus protein. By eating it, they simply consume the nutrient that they used to form it.
For maintaining a proper skin condition
The dead skin of your frog carries some bacteria and microbes which can be harmful to your frog’s main skin layer. For a Pacman frog, healthy skin is crucial. Because they breathe & even intake water through their skin. And the shedding helps to keep the skin in optimum condition.
Reduce pathogen loads
Due to their sensitive skin pattern Pacman frogs might get the disease. Their skin can contain harmful bacteria, microbes, fungi, and various types of germs and pathogens. All these can attack the immune system of a Pacman frog.
So by getting rid of them from the skin and eating the skin, most of them don’t get the chance to survive in the digestion process.
Cell renewing process
Like most amphibians, the famous Pacman frog goes through a skin changing process. This process ensures that the skin remains healthy as the old skin peels off. It helps to strengthen the healthy chemical composition and cellular state of the skin of the frog.
Removing the trace mark
The real scenario of the natural habitat of the Pacman frog is packed with enemies and predators who are waiting to kill & eat them. So skin shedding and eating brings a significant benefit.
Pacman frogs eating off its dead skin helps them to remove their trace which is a big survival method for their existence. So even in captivity or terrarium, they will mimic the same thing as part of their natural movement.
How can you help Pacman frog during shedding time?
As the Pacman frog is under your monitoring so you can play some role which will provide some advantage during the skin shed time.
You can keep the overall humidity level of the terrarium by misting it with a sprayer 2 times a day.
Adding vegetation to your frog’s tank would be a great idea. It would definitely speed up the humidity-forming process.
Make sure the substrate has got enough moisture. While spraying mist, check the moisture level so that the shedding process feels good for them. Not only that it will also alleviate the mood of your frog because they love to hide under the moist substrate.
Giving a water bath would be also helpful for the little frog. Sprinkle some water using a pipe with slow-moving water would give them a feel of the rainy season, or the flowing water of a forest river.
Don’t be confused about fungus infection & skin shed
People who brought Pacman frog for the first time won’t be able to detect the fungal infection due to a lack of knowledge & experience.
The fungal infection and skin shedding look pretty similar due to skin shedding in both cases. However, in fungal infection, your Pacman frog will remove the skin as patches but not as a whole piece of skin. But during skin shedding, the skin will come off as a single skin.
Wrapping it up
If you love your pet frog I really respect that. Your little Pacman frog will be going to shed frequently & you as the owner need to provide him/her the best environment for this by adding moisture and humidity.
For healthy Pacman frogs, the skin shedding process is a must. So watch out for if they are missing it or not.
Have a great journey with your frog and keep learning more to provide maximum care.
