How to Care for African Clawed Frogs

All the basic info you need to keep African Clawed Frogs as pets

Aug 2, 2009

Finding information about how to care for African Clawed Frogs can be difficult. This article will give you basic, simple information on how to care for these frogs.

The most common variety of African Clawed Frogs is Xenopus Laevis. Xenopus means "strange foot" and laevis means "smooth." African Clawed Frogs are sometimes confused with African Dwarf Frogs. African Clawed Frogs are much larger than African Dwarf Frogs when full-grown, and they are also chubby, whereas African Dwarf Frogs are skinny. Dwarf Frogs also have webbed hands and feet, while African Clawed Frogs only have webbed feet.

African Clawed Frogs usually come in one of two colors--brownish, with spots or other dark marks of various shapes, and albino. Females are larger than males and have a "tail" between their legs, and males have dark inner arms. Depending on their gender and the quality of care they receive, African Clawed Frogs can grow to be 2-5 inches long (not including their legs) and can live up to 20 years. One of the most important things to remember about African Clawed Frogs is that they should not be released into the wild. They are very hardy and push out native species of frogs, and they are even illegal in some states because too many people released their pets.

Housing the African Clawed Frog

African Clawed Frogs are entirely aquatic and should be kept in a tank with 7-10 gallons of water per frog. Keep the tank full, but have the water level 2-3 inches below the top of the tank to prevent the frogs from escaping. The tank should be longer than it is tall, because frogs need plenty of surface area on which to sit. One 10 gallon tank would work well for one full-grown frog, a 20 gallon tank would work well for two, and so on. The tank must have a cover with no holes, or the frogs will be able to escape. African Clawed Frogs do not need gravel, but it is important for them to have plants (real or plastic) and aquarium decorations to hide in. Just make sure that any holes in the decorations are too large for the frogs to get stuck in them.

Water Requirements for African Clawed Frogs

The ideal temperature in the tank is 70-75 degrees F. Because most tap water contains chlorine and other substances that are harmful to frogs, add a water conditioner such as Tetra AquaSafe to the water before using it for your frogs. Also make sure the temperature of any water you add to the tank is no more than two degrees different from the water already in the tank.

Best Filters for an African Clawed Frog Tank

The tank should have a filter, such as a Tetra Whisper power filter, to keep the water clean. Do not use an undergravel filter or any airstones, because the frogs do not need them and these types of filters can actually be harmful to them. Make sure the filter is made for the size of tank you are buying and follow the instructions regarding how often to change the filter cartridges. In addition to filtration, you should change part of the water in the tank regularly. Weekly water changes are best, but if you are only able to do it once a month, the frogs should be fine. A turkey baster or siphon gravel cleaner works well for cleaning up waste and uneaten food from the bottom of the tank.

Feeding African Clawed Frogs

A good general food for African Clawed Frogs is Wardley Reptile Food, Tetra Reptomin, or frog food from Xenopus Express. Some pet owners like to give their frogs freeze-dried krill, bloodworms, tubifex worms, or even live earthworms as a supplement to their main diet, but this is not necessary to keep the frogs healthy. Most African Clawed Frog owners seem to agree that the frogs should be fed daily. How much to feed depends on the particular frogs you have, so experiment with different amounts until you find what works best for your frogs. If they seem hungry, feed them more, and if there is a lot of uneaten food left in the tank, feed them less.

Tank Mates for African Clawed Frogs

African Clawed Frogs should not live with fish, because if the fish are smaller than they are, they will eat them, and if the fish are bigger or are aggressive, they might hurt or kill the frogs. However, African Clawed Frogs are social animals and enjoy living with each other. Do not put very young frogs with adult frogs, though, because the adults may eat the smaller frogs.

Diseases of African Clawed Frogs

Occasionally African Clawed Frogs will get sick, and probably the best way to find help for your sick frog is to visit an African Clawed Frog group in Yahoo Groups, such as FroggyFriends or africanclawedfrogs2006.

African Clawed Frogs make great pets and are easier to care for than fish or other frogs. If you follow the instructions in this article, you should be able to enjoy your frogs for many years!

The copyright of the article How to Care for African Clawed Frogs in Reptiles & Amphibians is owned by Sabrina Kiele. Permission to republish How to Care for African Clawed Frogs in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.