African Clawed Frog or Xenopus laevis are interesting creatures. The species name Xenopus means strange foot. They have four clawed toes. They are true aquatic frog that must spend most of their time in water. They are rather larger growing to over five inches long. There are fourteen distinct spot patterns and an albino form. As they are being breed more variation will probably show up.  They used often in scientific research and raised in large numbers. Apparently they were used for pregnancy tests in the 40s and 50s. There is a similar looking dwarf clawed frog. If it is albino than you know is it a African clawed frog.

Water: The water should be wet. Just kidding. They can breed in a pH range 5 - 9. They  can tolerant 40% salt water. This is a tough frog. Water should be changed regularly just like with tropical fish.

Food: The frog can eat a wide range of meaty food. In the aquarium they will eat cichlid pellet and shrimp pellet. You have to be carefully not to overfeed them. They will eat after their stomach are full. They will also eat fish, tadpoles, and anything small enough to get in their mouth. They have been known to eat gravel and small rocks. This can kill them. They love live foods like Daphnia, and bloodworms. They eat small pieces of meat like beef heart.

Tank: You want a fairly large tank. At least 5 gallons per adult fish. You want the frogs of near equal size. The small ones can disappear. You want to do one or both of the following: a secure lid and keep the water several inches from the top of the tank. They will jump out on the floor. They can survive for a short time out of the water but will dry and die. I had this happen last year. I was very upset about it.

Tank Furniture: They like to have hiding places. PC pipes or caves allow them to relax away from each other.

Tank Mates: It is best to keep them by themselves. I have kept livebearers with them but it is not recommended. If the fish are too big they can also eat the frogs. I remember trying ad some tadpoles to a community tank but they did not survive ten seconds before the fish swallow them whole.

Filtration: They have very sensitive hearing. You should avoid noisy equipment. Sponge filter should make less noise.

Book: This is best book that I have found. It also gives information about other fish. My Dwarf Clawed Frog by Frank Schaefer

Spawning: They are not hard to spawn. They are old enough when six to ten months old. The males will tend to be smaller. The females tend to be larger and have a small protrusion between their legs. The female can produce large numbers of eggs potentially several thousands per spawn. When the adults have deposited the eggs they should be moved to another tank immediately. In the wild adults will eat the tadpoles especially if they are hungry. In places with no natural food but lots of algae, the adults will spawn and they eat the tadpoles. The adults cannot eat algae but must have meat.

The tadpoles are filter feeders like Daphnia. They can live on green water. Green water is exactly what it sounds like water with tiny algae floating in it. They tadpoles have tails that are constantly moving. They look like the flame of a candle in their shape and movement. The albino are cream color and the normal are greenish brown color. They will grow rapidly with the first transforming into frogs in six to eight weeks. If the tadpoles have not started to change by three months they probably will never change. The first frog will start to eat their smaller siblings. They stop eating and absorb the big fat tail into their growing legs front first.

The new frog are very small but will eat with gusto.

Do Not Release Outside: It is never a good idea to release aquarium fish or plants into the wild. African Clawed Frog are both adaptive and tough. They have a mild toxin on the skin that discourages predators from eating them. They are several places that they have naturalized in California and Colorado. They are not limited to tropical environments. They are long lived ten to fifteen years and and about to reproduce in large numbers thousands per year. These are traits that can may a ecological disaster. They are predators so can impact wet areas. It is true that cannot survive long times out of water. They can hop a mile in a rainstorm. Do not release these in the wild.

There is a market for these frogs. You can sell them on eBay but remember the policy for live animals. They must be shipped with an overnight methods. You can also use the pick-up only methods. Pet stores sell some of these also. I bought some tadpoles at a fish auction in Chicago. I was working as a teacher's assistant and was able to use them in the classroom. It is a great way to teach biology at all levels of school.

If you have any other questions, contact me. I will revise this guide as needed.