African Clawed Frog

African Clawed Frog is a muscular specie without eyelids, external ear drums, tongue or teeth. They are natives of Africa, found extensively in the south eastern portion of Central Africa, particularly in the highlands between the African Cape, Cameroon plateau and Nigeria. It inhabits natural water bodies such as streams, ponds, rain pools, marshes and swamps as well as man made reservoirs like dams and wells. Their life span ranges between 5 to 15 years.

These species are normally 12 cm. in length and have a flat head and body. Their name “African Clawed Frog” is derived from the short claws attached to each side of their hind feet. These amphibians have no hands but only webbed feet. The forelimbs have four webbed fingers and its hind legs have five long webbed toes with dark claws on its three outer toes. They have smooth skin with dorsal end being olive brown or grey while the ventral surface has a smooth creamy white shade. The male species have dark stripes under their forearms.

They are voracious eaters and use their forelimbs to push food inside their mouth. They eat almost everything but prefer the blood worms, earth worms and other types of worms. They are salt tolerant and can aestivate up to eight months. When the water bodies dry up, they can tolerate periods of complete starvation lasting up to one year. They reproduce by eggs and can breed successfully in both acidic and alkaline water with pH ranges of 5 to 9. They possess a number of defense mechanisms which saves them from other reptiles specially snakes, by emitting a strong skin toxin. Another, being usage of their claws to stir up mud which enables them to hide from predators.

The albino varieties are sold as pets. They require large sized tanks with water level restricted to 12 inches. The container must have tight lid to prevent the frogs from leaping out. Tank interiors could be decorated with colorful rocks, wood and flower pots so that the frogs can have natural habitats and can also hide amongst them. The water needs to de-chlorinated monthly with the room temperature retained between 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. While the frogs in wild may live in stagnant water, but as a pet it is advised to change the tank water frequently.

In the early 50’s and 60’s amphibians were extensively used in laboratories for research purposes. They have a tendency of destroying the entire eco system by eating native wild life such as fish, turtles and other frogs.

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