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Encyclopedia / Frogs & Newts / Western clawed frog
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Variations

1 kinds · tap one for a closer look

Western clawed frog

Xenopus tropicalis · Tropicalis, Silurana, African clawed frog dwarf, Western clawed

Eats any fish small enough to swallow and can nibble tankmates, so keep alone or only with large fish.

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5 cmAdult size ✓
24–28 °CTemperature ✓
6.5–7.1pH ✓
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
  • Western clawed frog should be kept without other species.
  • Only a narrow temperature range suits both: 24–25 °C.
Not recommended
  • Western clawed frog should be kept without other species.
Not recommended
  • Western 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 ✓2 or more
Temperament ✓Semi-aggressive
Swims at ?All levels
Care level ?Moderate
Diet Carnivore
Lifespan ?Unknown
Size in shops 3–5 cm
Growth Medium

Behavior

Eats any fish small enough to swallow and can nibble tankmates, so keep alone or only with large fish. Escape-proof lid required.

Food

Sinking frog pellets, bloodworms, blackworms and earthworm pieces.

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Male or female

Females are larger, pear-shaped, with a prominent cloaca and well-developed cloacal lobes; mature males are smaller and have dark nuptial pads on the inner forearms and fingers.

Health

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

Breeding

Egg-scatterer · Moderate

In labs, natural mating is usually induced with hCG hormone injections; in the wild, eggs are attached to water plants. Development is very fast: embryos hatch about 24-26 hours after fertilisation at 25 °C, tadpoles can metamorphose in as little as 4 weeks, and generation time is about 4 months.

Pairing

Keep 1 male to 2 females; males call at night.

Setup

30 L+ tank with plants and hiding spots, gentle filter.

What starts it

Cool water, then warm water and plentiful food.

Eggs

Large spawns of 1,000-3,000 eggs (small, 0.7-0.8 mm); hatching in about 24-26 hours at 25 °C.

Raising the fry

Tadpoles filter-feed on powdered spirulina or green water.

Common mistakes
  • Housing with small fish
  • Open lid escapes
  • Letting animals escape or be released
Full breeding guide, day-by-day plan and simulator →

Where it lives in the wild

RegionWest Africa – from Senegal to Cameroon
Rivers and lakesRainforest and savanna waters of West Africa
HabitatStill pools and slow streams in forest
Native rangeAbout 1,500 km across
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The story of the western clawed frog

A small West African relative of the African clawed frog and a major lab model: it is diploid with a short generation time, which makes it better for genetics than X. laevis.

British zoologist John Edward Gray described the western clawed frog in 1864. It is a smaller relative of the African clawed frog. It is widely used in biological research.

First described by John Edward Gray in 1864.

  • Its genome was sequenced in 2010.
  • Unlike the African clawed frog, it has a diploid genome, which helps genetic research.
  • It has small claws on its hind toes.

Sources

13 facts checked with sources