African Clawed Frog Care Guide - Setup, Feeding & Breeding

The African Clawed Frog, Xenopus laevis, is a fully aquatic frog with a flattened body, small eyes positioned high on the head and powerful hind legs. Its front feet lack webbing, while the hind feet are webbed and carry the dark claws that give the species its common name. Wild-coloured individuals are usually olive, brown or grey with mottled markings and a pale underside.

Unlike many frogs, African Clawed Frogs do not have a protruding tongue for catching prey. They use their forelimbs to push food towards the mouth and have a distinctive method of gulping both food and water. Their lateral-line systems, visible as pale lines along the body, help them detect movement in their surroundings.

These frogs spend their entire lives in water and are capable swimmers, though they also regularly rise to the surface to breathe atmospheric air. They are generally peaceful with members of their own species but are opportunistic predators that may swallow surprisingly large tankmates.

In the wild, they occupy a wide range of freshwater habitats, from permanent lakes and ponds to temporary pools. Their adaptability has allowed them to become established outside their native range in several parts of the world, where escaped or released specimens can threaten local amphibians and should never be released.

African Clawed Frogs are native to sub-Saharan Africa, including South Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini, Botswana, Zimbabwe and parts of Zambia and Namibia. They inhabit still and slow-moving freshwater bodies such as ponds, dams, marshes and seasonal pools.

A single adult African Clawed Frog should have at least 75 litres of water, with a footprint of roughly 90 cm by 30 cm; larger groups need a proportionally larger aquarium. Use a secure lid because these frogs can escape, leave open access to the surface for breathing, and provide gentle filtration with protected intakes and little or no strong current. Choose smooth sand or large, rounded gravel that cannot be swallowed, and furnish the tank with sturdy smooth shelters and hardy aquatic plants. Avoid sharp ornaments and fine debris that may damage the skin or be taken in while feeding.

Females can reach about 12.5 cm (5 in) in body length, while males are usually smaller at around 8–10 cm (3.1–3.9 in). Measurements generally refer to body length without fully including the legs.

African Clawed Frogs are carnivorous opportunists. Offer good-quality sinking frog or carnivore pellets supplemented with earthworms, bloodworms, blackworms, brine shrimp and suitably sized pieces of other meaty foods. Feed measured portions that are consumed promptly, since uneaten food can quickly pollute the water. Avoid relying on feeder fish, which may introduce disease and provide an unbalanced diet.

African Clawed Frogs are safest in a species-only aquarium or with other frogs of a similar size. They may eat small fish, shrimp, snails and young amphibians, while fin-nipping fish can injure them and larger predatory fish may attack them. Avoid housing them with dwarf African frogs, delicate community fish or any species small enough to fit in their mouths. They should not be mixed with tropical fish that require substantially warmer water.

African Clawed Frogs can breed readily when mature, although spawning may be encouraged by changes in water level and temperature that imitate seasonal conditions. The male clasps the female around the hind legs in amplexus, and she releases eggs that are fertilised externally as they are laid. Eggs should be removed from adults, which may eat them, and raised separately. Tadpoles are aquatic and initially feed on very fine suspended foods before developing into froglets.

Females are larger and more pear-shaped than males, particularly when carrying eggs, and have a more prominent cloacal region. Males are smaller and slimmer, and mature males develop dark nuptial pads on the forearms and hands during breeding condition.