African Dwarf Frog
A tiny fully aquatic frog, popular in home aquariums, with small clawed feet and a peaceful nature.
Overview
A tiny fully aquatic frog, popular in home aquariums, with small clawed feet and a peaceful nature.
History & Origin
The tongueless frog (pipid) is native to West Africa. It belongs to the family Pipidae, a lineage of amphibians distributed across those regions and kept both in the wild and by specialist keepers.
Appearance & Size
African Dwarf Frog is a small (2–4 cm) frog.
Temperament
Generally hardy and tolerant of gentle handling when raised in captivity, though individual temperament varies.
Care & Husbandry
Pipids (African clawed frogs, Surinam toads) are fully aquatic, tongueless and clawed; they need an aquarium with clean filtered water, no land, and feeding via scent. They are robust and long-lived but entirely aquatic—never a terrestrial setup.
Health & Lifespan
Entirely aquatic—water quality is everything; ammonia spikes cause rapid illness. Filter well and avoid overfeeding. In captivity a healthy individual may live around 5–10 years.
Popularity & Recognition
Pipids gave us the African clawed frog (once used in pregnancy tests) and the bizarre Surinam toad whose young develop in back-skin pockets.
