African dwarf frog is the common name for members of Hymenochirus, a fully aquatic frog genus native to parts of Equatorial Africa.[1][2] They are popular in the pet trade and often mistaken for the African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis), a larger relative in the same family.
These frogs live their entire lives underwater but breathe air through lungs. Their color ranges from olive green to brown with black spots. Adults grow to around 2.5–4cm (1–1.5 inches).[3]
While the average lifespan is 5 years, some have been reported to live over 20 years.[4]
All pipids are tongueless and toothless. They use suction feeding and push food into their mouths using webbed forelimbs. They lack external ears but detect vibrations using a lateral line system.[5]
They possess small black claws on their hind feet, leading to the term “clawed frogs.”[6] However, these tips can wear down in abrasive tank environments.
In the wild
Note the black claws on hind legs
They inhabit shallow streams, creeks, and flooded forest floors. Their bottom-dwelling habits and muddy coloration provide camouflage.[citation needed]
Males are slimmer and develop postaxillary glands behind their forearms, believed to be related to mating. They produce quiet “humming” calls. Females are larger (up to 40% bigger), with more rounded abdomens and visible ovipositors.
Mating occurs in amplexus at night, triggered by male calls. The female lays eggs near the surface while the male fertilizes them externally. This may last several hours.
As pets
They became popular in the 1970s due to their small size and low maintenance needs.[7]
To distinguish them from African clawed frogs:
Dwarf frogs have webbing on all four feet; clawed frogs lack it on the front.
Dwarf frogs have side-facing eyes and pointed snouts; clawed frogs have top-facing eyes and flat snouts.
African dwarf frogs are peaceful and social but may eat smaller animals. They're active swimmers and exhibit “burbling” when floating at the surface with limbs outstretched.
They thrive in groups, in tanks no deeper than 24 inches. The water should be clean, dechlorinated, and at 24–28°C (75–82°F) with pH 6.5–7.5.[8] A tight lid is essential as they can escape. They dry out quickly and cannot survive more than 20 minutes outside water in low humidity.[9]
References
1 2 "Pipidae". AmphibiaWeb. University of California, Berkeley. 2024. Retrieved 2025-07-05.
1 2 Frost, Darrel R. (2024). "Hymenochirus Boulenger, 1896". Amphibian Species of the World 6.2. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 2025-07-05.
↑ "African Dwarf Frog". Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 2025-07-05.
↑ de Sá, Rafael O. (2021). "Evolution and diversity of the lateral line system in pipid frogs". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 193 (2): 434–450. doi:10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaa145.
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