African clawed frog

The African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis), also known as simply xenopus, African clawed toad, African claw-toed frog or the platanna) is a species of African aquatic frog of the family Pipidae. Its name is from the short black claws on its feet. The word Xenopus means 'strange foot' and laevis means 'smooth'.

The species is found in much of Sub-Saharan Africa (Nigeria and Sudan to South Africa), and in some places far away like North America, South America, Europe, and Asia where people brought them. All species of the family Pipidae are tongueless, toothless and live only in water. They use their hands to move food into their mouths and a special pump to help swallow. These frogs have strong legs for swimming and catching food, and they use the claws on their feet to tear larger pieces of food.

It is considered an invasive species in several countries, including across Europe. This means that in places where they do not belong, these frogs can sometimes cause trouble for plants and animals that live there.

Description

African clawed frogs live in ponds and rivers in the south-eastern part of Sub-Saharan Africa. They usually live in water and have a mix of green, gray, and brown skin, with a lighter, creamy white belly. Some people keep them as pets, and they are sometimes confused with African dwarf frogs. Special white versions of these frogs, called albino frogs, are used in science labs (animals for laboratories).

These frogs can live for many years—more than 15 years in the wild and up to 30 years with people. They change their skin each season and eat the old skin. Male and female frogs look different; males are smaller, and females are larger. Males have special black patches on their hands to help hold onto females when it's time to make babies.

Behaviour

African clawed frogs live in water and rarely leave it, except when they need to find new water during dry times. They have strong legs for swimming and moving on land, and special black claws on their feet to help them grab food and stay safe from other animals. These frogs eat many things, such as fish, small creatures, and even other frogs, using their hands to catch their food because they do not have a tongue like some other frogs.

These frogs are mostly active at night and like to eat after dark. They can find food in the water using special senses, and they also use their eyes to look for food and stay safe. When they are not eating, they often sit quietly at the water's surface, keeping their eyes and nose above the water.

Biology

The African clawed frog has special ways to stay healthy, especially when the weather gets cold. When the water cools down, its liver makes more of a substance that tells the thyroid gland to create more heat. This helps the frog keep its body warm.

Scientists have studied the fats inside the frog's cells and how its genes change as it ages. These studies show that some ways frogs age are similar to how mammals, like humans, age. This helps us learn more about how living things stay healthy over time.

Main article: type II iodothyronine deiodinase
Main article: thyroid
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Main article: lipidomics
Main article: X. laevis
Main article: epigenetic

In the wild

The African clawed frog lives in wetlands, ponds, and lakes in dry and semi-dry areas of Sub-Saharan Africa. People in these areas know these frogs well. Sometimes they eat them or use them in traditional practices.

In the wild, these frogs are often found in man-made water areas like ponds and dams. They can move over land to new water places. This can sometimes cause problems for local plants and animals. These frogs can also carry tiny harmful creatures called parasites.

Use in research

The African clawed frog, Xenopus laevis, is important for science. Scientists study these frogs a lot. They lay eggs all year, which makes them easy to use in labs.

These frogs were once used to help tell if a woman was pregnant by putting her urine in their water. Now, scientists use special chemicals to make the frogs breed in labs when needed. The frogs also help scientists learn about cells, how embryos grow, and many other biology topics. One famous experiment with these frogs helped us learn about how vision develops.

Online Model Organism Database

Xenbase is a special website where you can learn about two types of frogs called Xenopus laevis and Xenopus tropicalis. The website shares important facts, including information about the genes of Xenopus laevis. These genes were fully mapped in 2022.

As pets

African clawed frogs have been popular pets and research animals since the 1950s. They are very tough and can live for up to 20 or even 30 years with good care.

Sometimes, these frogs are sold in pet stores and called African dwarf frogs, which can be confusing. There are a few ways to tell them apart: dwarf frogs have four webbed feet, while African clawed frogs have webbed back feet and front feet with separate toes. Dwarf frogs have eyes on the sides of their heads, but African clawed frogs have eyes on the tops of their heads. Also, African clawed frogs have curved, flat snouts, while dwarf frogs have pointed snouts.

Main article: African dwarf frogs

As pests

The African clawed frog is a strong eater and can live in many different places. This can sometimes cause problems. These frogs can move short distances and even survive cold weather, which helps them spread to new areas. They have hurt some local frog groups by eating their young.

In 2003, these frogs were found in a pond in San Francisco at Golden Gate Park. People are working to stop them from spreading further. It is not clear how they got there, but officials took steps to keep them contained. Owning these frogs without special permission is not allowed in many places in the United States, including Arizona, California, Kentucky, Louisiana, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon, Vermont, Virginia, Hawaii, Nevada, and [Washington state](/wiki/Washington_(state). However, they can be kept in places like New Brunswick in Canada and Ohio.

There are also groups of these frogs living wild in South Wales and the United Kingdom. In Yunnan, China, a special group of pale frogs lives in Lake Kunming, along with another frog from America.

These frogs might help spread a harmful sickness among other frogs, even though they do not get sick themselves. Because of this, many are working to control their numbers to protect local wildlife.