A little damp, very welcome.
African Clawed Frog
Xenopus laevis
Also called Xenopus, Platanna, African clawed toad, African claw-toed frog
From Sub-Saharan Africa, from Nigeria and Sudan south to South Africa, in warm still ponds, dams, canals and quiet streams, including in dry regions. Introduced populations now exist on several other continents.123
At a glance the quick version
Approximate typical adult weights: about 60 g (2 oz) for males and 200 g (7 oz) for females
Looks how to spot one
Smooth, slippery, flattened aquatic frog
A streamlined, flat-bodied frog with smooth, slippery skin, upward-facing eyes and large webbed back feet. Three toes on each hind foot end in small black claws. It has no tongue and no visible ears, and a row of stitch-like sense organs (a lateral line) runs along its sides. Females are much larger and rounder than the slim males.21
Personality what they are like
Calm and fairly sedentary, happy to hang in the water or rest on the bottom between bursts of activity. A frog to observe rather than handle: out of water it is clumsy and crawls rather than hops.23
Daily activity how busy a day looks
A capable swimmer that spends nearly all its life underwater, foraging along the bottom and rising to the surface.23
Grooming and care the hands-on bits
Care is all about the water: keep it clean and in a comfortable temperature range. Check local rules before getting one, as a permit is needed in several US states.21
Home where they are happiest
A fully aquatic tank with no land section needed. In the wild it thrives in still water of roughly 16-27 °C (60-80 °F).23
Food basics what goes in the bowl
Carnivorous scavenger. It eats insect larvae, worms, small crustaceans, snails, tadpoles and small fish, finding food by smell, touch and its lateral line rather than sight, then shovelling it in with its front feet and sucking it into its mouth.231
Company who they like around
Mostly solitary by nature. Note that it will try to eat anything small enough to fit in its mouth, including smaller frogs.21
The story where it all began
In the 1930s researchers found that this frog lays eggs when injected with urine from a pregnant woman, and it was used worldwide as a pregnancy test until the 1960s. That lab presence made it a key model animal: in 1962 it became the first vertebrate to be cloned, and in 1992 clawed frogs flew on the Space Shuttle Endeavour to study reproduction in zero gravity.1
Fun facts for the dinner table
- 1
It has no tongue and uses its front feet to push food into its mouth.1
- 2
Males sing underwater with trilling calls made by contracting muscles in the larynx, and females answer with rapping or ticking sounds.1
- 3
It was the first vertebrate ever cloned, in 1962.3
- 4
When its pond dries up it can bury itself in mud and stay dormant for up to a year.3
- 5
It sheds its skin regularly and then eats it.1
- 6
Four female clawed frogs travelled to space on Space Shuttle Endeavour in September 1992.1
Recognised by the official bits
- IUCN Red List
- Least Concern1
- US state law
- Owning, transporting or selling it without a permit is illegal in several US states, including California, Arizona, Oregon, Washington, Virginia, North Carolina, Kentucky, Louisiana, New Jersey, Vermont, Nevada and Hawaii1
- Science
- A major laboratory model species; cloning work on it earned Sir John Gurdon the 2012 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine1
The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you
A typical home-care rhythm for a African Clawed Frog. It is our own starting plan, not a vet's advice, and you can change every line in the app.
- FeedingHow often depends on species and agevaries
- Temperature checkevery day
- Water changeAbout 20 to 25% of the waterevery week
- Water testevery week
- Filter rinseRinse in old tank water, never tap waterevery month
- Vet check-upFind a vet who sees exotic petsevery year
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Where this comes from
Every breed page shows where each fact comes from. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are pet people, not a science magazine. Tell us at support@furrydiary.app and we will fix it.
- African clawed frog - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.orgused for names, range, anatomy, lifespan, vocalisation, history, conservation, US regulation, fun facts
- Xenopus laevis - Animal Diversity Web (University of Michigan) animaldiversity.orgused for range, size and weight by sex, lifespan, colours, anatomy, diet, behaviour, water temperature
- African clawed frog - Smithsonian's National Zoo nationalzoo.si.eduused for size and weight by sex, lifespan, diet, behaviour, habitat temperature, fun facts
Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.