Aquarium Livestock Pet Care Guides

Claw Frogs

Origin:

Africa

Tank Temperature:

65-68°F

pH:

7.0-8.0

Tank Requirements:

Tank should have a lid; avoid small gravel; live plants may become uprooted as the frogs forage; if tank does not have a filter, water changes should be performed more frequently; all substrate and decorations should have smooth edges.

Feeding:

Carnivorous; will eat shrimp, flakes, small pellets or granules, and meaty frozen foods, such as brine shrimp and blackworms; feed once daily and skip feeding for a day occasionally. Avoid feeding pellets exclusively.

Behavior:

Generally peaceful towards members of the same species, but may be aggressive towards small fish, including livebearers and tetras.

Compatibility:

Community Safe; tank mates should be larger than the frog and have a peaceful temperament.

Species Overview

African Clawed Frogs (Xenopus laevis) and African Dwarf Frogs (Hymenochirus sp.) have been popular with aquarists since since the 1950's when they were first imported to the U.S. Unfortunately, they also made it into local waterways, and today are well established in several states, including Texas, California and Arizona. Ravenous predators, these frogs have been implicated in the declines of a number of native invertebrate, amphibian and fish species. Because of their invasive status, they are illegal to keep in some states. Feral populations of African Clawed Frogs are also to be found in Mexico, Chile, France, Italy, Java, Japan, Indonesia, Great Britain, the Ascension Islands and elsewhere.

These two varieties are very similar in appearance, but differ in their adult size. The larger African Clawed Frogs have un-webbed front feet and three black claws on each back foot. All of the African Dwarf Frogs feet are webbed. Clawed Frogs grow much larger than their dwarf counterparts and should be kept alone or in suitably large, well-filtered aquariums. Both frogs can prey on small tankmates. Clawed Frogs accept frozen foods and even some pellets and food sticks, but live foods like blackworms or live brine shrimp may be needed to stimulate feeding, especially the dwarf frogs. Food items should be small enough for the frog to swallow since they eat their food whole, and diet should never consist of pellets alone. Since frogs can produce a great deal of waste, good filtration and regular water changes are important and water quality should be monitored closely. Ornaments and substrate should be smooth to avoid damaging the frog's sensitive skin.

We always suggest that you do further research before adding a new pet to your tank. What we have provided for you are guidelines and suggestions. If you have any further questions or concerns, please contact our fish room at 717-299-5691 ext. 1213 or marinebio@thatpetplace.com.

Did you know...

  • -The Clawed Frog's life span is about 15 years.
  • -You can tell males from females by looking for the cloacal protrusion at the end of the abdomen of the female (males will be smooth or indented). Males also vocalize, producing an soft humming sound.
  • -They shed their skin! Shedding will look like a gray milky film covering their body that will slowly slough off. Shedding will occur in perfectly healthy frogs but can also be triggered by toxins in the water, so maintain good water quality at all times.


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