African Clawed Frogs (Xenopus laevis) are fully aquatic freshwater frogs, known for their unique adaptations and ease of care. They are the only purely freshwater aquatic frogs that are very easy to care for. These fascinating amphibians require specific conditions to thrive in captivity, making it essential for enthusiasts to understand their needs.
African Clawed Frogs can be found throughout southern Africa along the African Rift Valley, but are also found invasively in the United States, Chile, France, and many other countries.
Physical Characteristics
An African clawed frog's body is flattened with a smaller, wedge-shaped head. The positioning of the eyes and nostrils on the top of the head, along with camouflaged skin, help this species hide from predators, such as herons. The smooth skin is often multicolored with blotches of greenish-gray or brown on its back. The underside is off-white with a yellow hue.
The frogs' front limbs are small with non-webbed fingers used to push food into the mouth. Their hind legs are large and webbed, and the three inside toes on either foot have "claws," which are not true claws but cornified tips. African clawed frogs also have a lateral line system that is very sensitive to vibrations, enabling them to detect predators and prey in murky water.
The Pipidae family of frogs is unique in that members lack a tongue and a visible ear. A fun fact about these frogs is that they do not have a “traditional” frog tongue, they have no tongue at all! The males also lack vocal cords.
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Enclosure Setup
African Clawed Frogs are fully aquatic freshwater frogs. Meaning they require aquariums filled to the proper level needed for your filtration system. An important feature for African Clawed Frogs is a large space to allow them to bolt around their tank.
It is key to not use small pebbles for substrate. African Clawed Frogs will consume them and become impacted, usually leading to death. I personally suggest placing a layer of Fluval Plant and Shrimp Stratum. This promotes plant growth and can be passed through the frog if ingested.
After placing around 2 inches of stratum on the bottom of the enclosure, you may add a piece of aquarium safe driftwood. I use these wood features as a base to my enclosure, typically going right down the middle. Then plant the tallest plants in the back corners (Of course keep the filter in mind, you do not want the filter sucking up the plants). And then place smaller and smaller plants into the center. This provides open space in the front for them to swim freely.
A variety of live plants will add cover and good nutrients to your enclosure. Java Moss, Java Fern, and Hornwort have flourished in my enclosures with African Clawed Frogs. I then placed large pieces of natural slate over the stratum that was exposed. The goal is to cover as much substrate as possible, locking plants roots in, and providing a natural environment. Be sure all stones are secure and will not move with a current. You may add other aquarium decor or driftwood once the base is complete!
A filtration system is needed for African Clawed frogs unless you pursue a bioactive aquarium. Picking the right filter requires personal research. I have had the best experiences with Tetra’s Whisper line of filters. If using tap water, water conditioner must be used. This removes harmful chemicals and makes the water safe for your amphibian.
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They have an instinct to leave poor water quality “pools” by crawling up onto land to find a better home. If you neglect their enclosure, they will escape in search of a suitable body of water. However, your home does not have other pools like their native home of South Africa. Henceforth, this usually does not end well for the frog in a human environment.
Water Temperature
65-75 degrees F (18-24 degrees C). A heat source is typically not needed for African Clawed Frogs because they thrive at room temperature.
Feeding
African Clawed Frogs for Beginners EP4: Common Habits
These frogs will eat anything that fits in their mouth! This can include smaller tank mates. Ensure your frogs are relatively the same size when housed together.
A juvenile African Clawed Frog should have around 4 live crickets, a pinch of blood worms, 3 small earthworms, or a combination every other day. 1-2 Small Comets or Rosies can be fed every 3 days. To feed live crickets, you may use tongs to place them underwater.
Adult African Clawed Frogs can have a variety of feeds. A mixed diet of Comets, Rosies, feeder Goldfish, earthworms, crickets, and bloodworms help your frog thrive. With larger food like; Comets, Rosies, feeder goldfish, and large earthworms, I would feed 3-4 items twice a week. With smaller food including; Crickets and bloodworms, I would feed 10 crickets or 3 pinches of blood worms every other day. A diverse diet improves your frog’s health.
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For example:
- Monday: 3 comets, and one earthworm
- Wednesday: 3 pinches of blood worms
- Friday: 2 Comets and 3 worms
- Sunday: Small snack of bloodworms
My frogs’ favorite are earthworms! I drop them in the tank and allow them to hunt them down. It is a lot of fun watching them gobble them down!
Providing a wide variety of live foods is one of the main stumbling blocks to keeping most frogs healthy in captivity. African Clawed Frogs (Xenopus laevis, and several related species), however, take non-living foods.
How to Sex
Male African Clawed Frogs are usually smaller than females. They have a slim body and legs. They call out or “sing” for a female frog, which sounds like a cricket chirping underwater. They have no cloaca; a bump where the legs meet. When male frogs reach sexual maturity (around 10 months old), they have black nuptial pads on their forearms.
Female African Clawed Frogs have a pear-shaped body with chubby legs. They have a small bump in between their legs (cloaca) where eggs and waste pass. African Clawed Frogs are a species that females respond back to the male’s calls.
Size
As explained above, African Clawed Frogs vary in size based on sex. An estimated length for an adult African Clawed Frog is 5 inches (12.7cm).
Activity
African Clawed Frogs are nocturnal, meaning they rest during the day and are active at night. They typically hide away in hides or plants within their enclosure to rest. sleep in the day.
Are They Good for Beginners?
These are great frogs for beginners! I Hoped This Helped!
Underwater Communication
Few animals are known for being able to vocalize underwater, but even less common are reptiles or amphibians that do it. When a frog calls from the shores of a pond, its pushing air back and forth from it’s vocal sack to its lungs and through it’s vocal cords. Doing that underwater would be incredibly difficult and muffled.
African Clawed Frogs, however, have developed a way to produce sounds underwater without the use of vocal cords. Instead, these frogs use a combination of vocal components including movable rods with discs on the end. When the disks are separated it excites the larynx and causes it and the surrounding tissues to create noise. It’s only recently discovered and was a mystery in science until 2019. Before then it was assumed that they snapped small bubbles between the disks to make noise, but they were never able to observe the mechanisms in use.
Using this, African Clawed Frogs are able to communicate a large range of information to each other underwater.
