Have you just brought your new Pacman frog home and are wondering if you have a male or female? Are you hoping to breed your frogs in the future and want to ensure you have a male and a female frog? Has your frog started croaking and you want to know why?
While it is not easy to identify if you have a male or female Pacman frog, here is some important information and useful tips to help you determine the gender of your frog.
Why Should You Know the Sex of Your Pacman Frog?
While it is not very easy to tell a male and female Pacman frog apart, there are a few reasons why knowing the sex of your frog can be beneficial.
Enclosure Size
While Pacman frogs are not active frogs and tend to lie in wait for their prey, the female does grow considerably larger than the male.
Knowing the sex of your frog can help you identify if you want a large or a slightly smaller frog to care for.
A female Pacman frog will need a twenty-gallon enclosure, while the male only needs a ten-gallon.
Knowing the sex of your frog can help you purchase the right size habitat to ensure your frog’s health and wellness.
Related – Best terrarium for Pacman frog
Croaking
A male Pacman frog will croak. While he isn’t terribly noisy and you’ll find he only croaks a few times a day, you won’t want to place a male frog in your bedroom.
Knowing the sex of your frog can help you with the placement of your enclosure.
Breeding
If you intend breeding Pacman frogs in the future, then knowing the sex of the frog before the purchase can be beneficial.
How Old Does a Pacman Frog Need to Be to Tell the Gender
Can not determine a young Pacman frog’s gender
In most cases, you can determine a Pacman frog’s gender by the age of seven to eight months, though it can be more accurate to wait until they are twelve to sixteen months and are fully mature to get a real indication on whether your Pacman is male or female.
When your frog is still a juvenile, sex is a guessing game. Some experts claim that the female has a slightly pointed nose, while male faces are flat. This is not one hundred percent accurate.
Determining the age of your frog is almost impossible. It’s advisable to ask the breeder or pet store when buying your new amphibian pet.
Effective Ways to Tell a Pacman Frog Gender
Size
An adult female Pacman frog will grow between four to seven inches, while a fully matured male will only grow up to about four inches.
Remember to keep them separated at all times, these frogs will eat anything smaller than themselves, this includes other frogs of the same species.
Colors
An adult male Pacman frog will get darker on their chests, known as their beard, where a female chest will remain white. You will also notice a male can be a number of colors including dark green to lime, while females tend to stay tan.
Croaking
Male Pacman frogs do croak, females do not croak. This is an easy telltale sign on whether your frog is male or female.
Nuptial Pad
Identify Paman frog gender by nuptial pad
The only true sign on whether your Pacman frog is male or female is when they are ready to mate, the male will develop a dark spot or bump on their hand. This pad is found on most males and is the easiest way to determine your frog’s sex.
Note that the nuptial pads are not always dark in color. They can have light color and difficult to spot.
Nuptial pad with light color in a male Pacman frog
Pacman Frog Gender in Summary
When your Pacman frog reaches maturity, you can look for telltale signs that your frog is male, such as the dark beard or chest, the dark nuptial pads on their hands, and their smaller size.
Females will keep their white chest, will be significantly larger in size, and won’t develop nuptial pads on their hands.