Surinam Horned Frog

Surinam Horned Frog

Ceratophrys cornuta

Silhouette: Margot Michaud · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
at Tambopata National Reserve

In 3 days ~80% in a week >90%

124 Verified sightings at Tambopata National Reserve From 2019 to 2026
218 In all 4 parks
November Best month
🌙 Nocturnal When it's spotted

About the Surinam Horned Frog

The Surinam horned frog (Ceratophrys cornuta), also known as Amazonian horned frog, is a bulky frog measuring up to 20 centimetres (7.9 in) found in the northern part of South America. It has an exceptionally wide mouth, and has horn-like projections above its eyes. Females lay up to 1,000 eggs at a time, and wrap them around aquatic plants. The frog eats other frogs, fish, lizards, and mice. Tadpoles of the Surinam horned frog attack each other (and tadpoles from other species) soon after being hatched.

This species was once considered the same species as Ceratophrys ornata. This dispute was later settled because the Surinam Horned frog inhabits a different habitat than its smaller cousin and does not interbreed with it in the wild (but will do so in captivity). This species has been known to prey upon the other species of horned frog, especially the northern race of Ceratophrys ornata.

Enrique La Marca, Luis A. Coloma, Santiago Ron, Claudia Azevedo-Ramos (2004). "Ceratophrys cornuta". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2004 e.T56337A11464093. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2004.RLTS.T56337A11464093.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Recording0:15

French Guiana · 2023

© Augustin Bussac · XC928976 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Advertisement call0:09

French Guiana · 2025

© Arnaud Aury · XC964895 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Recording0:12

Suriname · 2025

© Ted Weber · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Tambopata National Reserve 🇵🇪 Peru
~40%
2 Brownsberg Nature Park 🇸🇷 Suriname
~40%
3 Manu National Park 🇵🇪 Peru
~40%
4 Yasuní National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
~10%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

# Zoo / Centre Country
1 Barcelona Zoo 🇪🇸 Spain In captivity
2 Oceanarium in Saint Petersburg 🇷🇺 Russia In captivity
3 Greensboro Science Center 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
4 Louisville Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
5 Aquarama Barcelona 🇪🇸 Spain In captivity
6 Vancouver Aquarium 🇨🇦 Canada In captivity
7 Xpark 🇹🇼 Taiwan In captivity
8 Awashima Marine Park 🇯🇵 Japan In captivity

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Surinam Horned Frog in Tambopata National Reserve?

Likely

About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Surinam Horned Frog sighting in Tambopata National Reserve on a given day, based on 124 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 2nd most-seen of the 44 amphibians we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 80%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Surinam Horned Frog in Tambopata National Reserve?

February and November

In those months about 60% of wildlife watchers report a Surinam Horned Frog in Tambopata National Reserve on a given day, against about 30% in May–June and August–September, the lowest months. Those are among Tambopata National Reserve's wettest months, with about 360 mm of rain a month against 45 mm in July.

What time of day is best to see a Surinam Horned Frog?

Between 7 and 10 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Surinam Horned Frog sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is mostly seen at night.

Is Tambopata National Reserve the best place to see a Surinam Horned Frog?

Yes

Of the 4 parks where we can rate Surinam Horned Frog sightings, Tambopata National Reserve has the highest daily chance: about 40%. Next come Brownsberg Nature Park (Suriname, about 40%) and Manu National Park (Peru, about 40%).

Which relatives of the Surinam Horned Frog live in Tambopata National Reserve?

Same order: Anura

The closest relatives of the Surinam Horned Frog that you can see in Tambopata National Reserve (order Anura, Frogs and Toads) are Eastern Cane Toad (about 50%), Sharp-nosed Jungle Frog (about 40%) and Giant Broad-headed Treefrog (about 40%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Surinam Horned Frog sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Surinam Horned Frog is recorded against all the amphibians logged in Tambopata National Reserve (124 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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