African Clawed Frog

As the name suggests the African clawed frog is found in the Southern region of Africa. It's binomial name is Xenopus laevis popularly known as platanna and it belongs to the Xenopus family. Its binomial name is derived because of the three short claws which are found on each hind foot. The word xenopus means "strange foot" and laevis means "smooth". This frog is mostly found throughout Africa. It has also been seen in small populations in isolated areas of North America, South America and Europe.

The average lifespan of this frog on an average is around 8 to 15 years, but if taken good care some people have also recorded their lifespan to be of 20 years. They can grow in length up to 12 cm. They are found in plenty in ponds and rivers in the south eastern part of Africa. These frogs are aquatic and are greenish-grey in color. Albino African clawed frogs and dwarf African clawed frogs are common as household pets.

African Clawed Frog Care

These frogs can be a good example of lovely aquatic pets. As they are facing a population decline in the wild mainly as a result of human activities. So you can lend a helping hand by actually taking these frogs as a pet and caring for them. It's very simple.

• Firstly get a fish tank for the frog to live in. The African clawed frog spends most of its life in water, so fill up the tank as you were keeping a fish. If you're planning to keep two frogs, a five gallon water tank is sufficient. The females are bigger than the males. These frogs require a lot of activity so make sure there is plenty of room for them to move around.
• Use clean sand or earth soil to cover the bottom of the tank. Don't use pebbles as they will try to eat it. Include foliage such as small water plants, fake or real branches and other things which give the frogs plenty of space to hide.
• Use a low filtration system, to keep the water clean from the frog's waste. For the tank's water, use water which is chlorine free. Even small quantities of chlorine is enough to kill this frog. The tank should be cleaned every week as the frog's waste contains ammonia which can become toxic for the frog.
• You should feed the frogs thrice a week. Give them live food as much as you can. These frogs have a strong hunting instinct and they will eat anything that fits into their mouth. Don't feed them tetras or feeder goldfish as they contain a certain enzyme which is harmful for the frog. Feed them beef heart brine, blood worms, earthworms, mosquito larvae, shrimp pellets, live shrimp and tubifex worms. Don't worry about the quantity of food to feed, they will stop eating once they are full. They do not have a tongue or teeth, they tear their prey to pieces with their sharp claws and eat them.

African Clawed Frog Breeding

The African clawed frogs usually mate at night. The male holds around the waist, and they both float upside down. The female can lay from 100 to 2000 eggs after a session of mating. The eggs are fertilized externally and they are attached to every available surface which includes the leaves and sometimes even on water stones. Tadpoles are transparent and are called filter feeders which means they only feed on microscopic algae and freshwater plankton which is filtered from water by their gills.

So adopt an African clawed frog right away and save its life. In recent years there have been a significant decline in their population and it is our duty to preserve these beautiful creatures.