African Clawed Frogs

Xenopus laevis

Feeding my African Clawed Frogs with crickets and grasshoppers.

Usually I feed them with worms.

General Information on Clawed Frogs:

"The African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis, also known as the xenopus, African clawed toad, African claw-toed frog or the platanna) is a species of African aquatic frog of the Pipidae family. Its name is derived from the three short claws on each hind foot, which it uses to tear apart its food. The word Xenopus means "strange foot" and laevis means "smooth".

African clawed frogs can grow up to a length of 5 in (13 cm). They have a flattened head and body, but no tongue or external ears.

These frogs are plentiful in ponds and rivers within the south-eastern portion of Sub-Saharan Africa. They are aquatic and are often greenish-grey in color. Albino varieties are commonly sold as pets. “Wild type" African Clawed Frogs are also frequently sold as pets, and often incorrectly labeled as a Congo Frog or African Dwarf Frog because of similar colorings. They are easily distinguished from African Dwarf Frogs because African Clawed Frogs have webbing only on their hind feet while African Dwarf Frogs have webbing on all four feet. They reproduce by laying eggs (see frog reproduction). Also, the clawed frogs are the only amphibians to have actual (though small) claws used to shred foods like fish or tadpoles. They lay their eggs from winter till spring during wet rainy seasons they will travel to other ponds or paddles of water to search for food.

The average life-span of these frogs ranges from 5–15 years with some individuals recorded to have lived for 20–25 years. They shed their skin every season, and eat their own shed skin.

Male and female frogs can be easily distinguished through the following differences. Male frogs are usually about 20% smaller than females, with slim bodies and legs. Males make mating calls to attract females, sounding very much like a cricket calling underwater. Females are larger than the males, appearing far more plump with hip-like bulges above their rear legs (where their eggs are internally located). While they do not sing or call out like males do, they do answer back (an extremely rare phenomenon in the animal world)."

African clawed frog. (2014, September 24). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 10:13, October 13, 2014, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=African_clawed_frog&oldid=626846855