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Encyclopedia / Frogs & Newts / African clawed frog
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Variations

2 kinds · tap one for a closer look

African clawed frog

Xenopus laevis · Clawed frog, Xenopus, Albino frog

Keep only with other clawed frogs.

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12 cmAdult size ✓
18–24 °CTemperature ✓
6.5–8pH ✓
UnknownSmallest tank ?
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Tank mates
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This one is best kept on its own, or with its own kind.

Not recommended
  • African clawed frog should be kept without other species.
Not recommended
  • African clawed frog should be kept without other species.
  • Only a narrow temperature range suits both: 23–24 °C.
Not recommended
  • African clawed frog should be kept without other species.
Facts checked against sources on 16 Oct 2026. ✓ means a source backs it; ? means no reliable source yet. See sources

Care and water

Hardness ?Unknown
Group size ?Can live alone
Temperament ✓Aggressive
Swims at ?Bottom
Care level ?Easy
Diet Carnivore
Lifespan ✓15–20 years
Size in shops 2–4 cm
Growth Fast

Behavior

Keep only with other clawed frogs.

Check your local laws. This animal is banned or needs a permit in some places, for example several US states. Check the rules where you live before you buy one, and never release it into the wild.

Good to know: Invasive in many countries. California needs a permit for any Xenopus frog, and some other US states ban it.

Food

Frog pellets, worms.

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Male or female

Males are smaller and develop dark mating pads on the underside of the forearms and hands; females are larger and have cloacal extensions at the end of the abdomen.

Health

Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.

Breeding

Egg-layer (substrate spawner) · Moderate

Females release hundreds of sticky eggs during amplexus. Tadpoles are filter feeders; development from egg to froglet takes about 6-8 weeks. In labs, spawning is induced with hormone (hCG) injection.

Pairing

Buy 4-6 frogs; males have dark nuptial pads.

Setup

A 100 L tank with lots of plants and a lid.

What starts it

Hormone injections are used in labs; hobby breeding uses a cool then warm cycle.

Eggs

Females lay 100-1000 eggs; hatch in 3-4 days.

Raising the fry

Tadpoles filter feed. Feed fine foods.

Common mistakes
  • Keeping with fish
  • Letting them escape
  • Leaving eggs with adults
Full breeding guide, day-by-day plan and simulator →

Where it lives in the wild

RegionSub-Saharan Africa – southern and eastern Africa
Rivers and lakesRivers and ponds of southern Africa
HabitatPonds and still water
Native rangeAbout 2,000 km across
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The story of the african clawed frog

A classic lab animal: in the 1940s-50s it was used for human pregnancy tests, in which a female frog injected with a pregnant woman's urine would lay eggs. It eats fish and other small animals.

French zoologist François Marie Daudin described this frog in 1802, originally as a toad. From the 1930s it was used worldwide for pregnancy tests, and it became one of the most important laboratory animals in biology. It is fully aquatic and kept by aquarists, including an albino form.

First described by François M. Daudin in 1802.

  • From the 1930s, these frogs were used worldwide in human pregnancy tests.
  • It was used in early cloning experiments by Nobel laureate John Gurdon.
  • It has small black claws on three toes of each hind foot.

Sources

13 facts checked with sources