African dwarf frog
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (July 2025) |
| African dwarf frogs | |
|---|---|
| |
| Hymenochirus boettgeri | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Anura |
| Family: | Pipidae |
| Genus: | Hymenochirus Boulenger, 1896 |
| Type species | |
| Hymenochirus boettgeri Tornier, 1896
| |
| Species | |
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4 species (see text) | |
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.
Distribution
[edit]African dwarf frogs occur in forested equatorial regions of Africa, including Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, and the Congo Basin.[2]
Species
[edit]The genus contains four species:[1]
- Zaire dwarf clawed frog – Hymenochirus boettgeri (Tornier, 1896)
- Eastern dwarf clawed frog – Hymenochirus boulengeri (De Witte, 1930)
- Western dwarf clawed frog – Hymenochirus curtipes (Noble, 1924)
- Gaboon dwarf clawed frog – Hymenochirus feae (Boulenger, 1906)
Description
[edit]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 2.5–4 cm (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
[edit]
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
[edit]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
[edit]- ^ a b "Pipidae". AmphibiaWeb. University of California, Berkeley. 2024. Retrieved 2025-07-05.
- ^ a b 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.
- ^ "How Long Do African Dwarf Frogs Live?". The Spruce Pets. 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.
- ^ "The early species names of Hymenochirus". Pipidae.net. Archived from the original on 2014-05-14. Retrieved 2025-07-05.
- ^ Green, Rosalind (2022). Complete Guide to African Dwarf Frogs. Independently Published. ISBN 9798437396026.
{{cite book}}: Check|isbn=value: checksum (help) - ^ "Hymenochirus boettgeri". Seriously Fish. Retrieved 2025-07-05.
- ^ "Aquatic Frogs". Big Al's Pets. Archived from the original on 2015-01-08.
External links
[edit]- The Aquarium Wiki Encyclopaedia – Aquarium care profile