Things You Need to Know before Buying African Dwarf Frog
Want to keep a pet but don’t have much time to take care of it? Well, here is a solution. Let’s buy an African dwarf frog. There will be hardly any amphibian-pet lover, who has not heard of it. Here is everything you need to know about it. Commonly found as pets, these frogs are often seen in the wild environment as well.
Since the 1970s, this species has been widely admired by pet lovers. As it requires very low maintenance, people prefer it over many other amphibians. So, if you also want to have a low-maintenance pet, here it is. But hang on! Before going to the shop, know some essential details about the amazing pet species.
African Dwarf Frog: Origin and Description
African dwarf frog is mainly originated in the native parts of Equatorial Africa. As an aquatic frog, it is also known as the dwarf clawed frog. You can find these frogs in the forested parts of equatorial Africa. In North, from Nigeria and Cameroon, and in South throughout the Congo basin, these frogs can be found roaming here and there.
It can be divided into four species. They are 1)Hymenochirus boettgeri 2)Hymenochirus boulengeri 3)Hymenochirus curtipes 4)Hymenochirus feae .
The frogs stay in the water most of the time, but they need to come out of the water surface to breathe in air. They are not very large in size, so a small size aquarium would be enough for them. They are extremely lightweight weighing few grams. You can get a wide range of variety in respect to the colors and types of these frogs. If you’re fond of the soothing effect of green, go for the olive green type. And if you prefer dark shade colors over everything else, dark brown type with black spots is for you.
On average, they usually live for five years. However, pet owners often find them living as long as 20 years or more than that. The average length of a grown-up African dwarf frog is 3 inches or 7.5 cm long.
These tongueless, toothless, fully aquatic frogs don’t have natural ears. But they can sense any kind of vibration and movement in the water. With their webbed feet, they push their foods directly down to the throat. Also, they have hyobranchial pumps to draw or suck foods into their mouth. They use their claws on the feet to tear the pieces of large foods.
Now, you have got enough idea about the species of the African dwarf frog. You know where do they come from; how do they look; what are the features of these frogs. Let’s quickly know some details about how to keep it as a pet. It will help you to take care of your amphibian buddy well.
African Dwarf Frog: The Main Facts about it as a Pet
Average adult size- 11/4 inches approx
Average life span- usually up to 5 years, can live up to 20 years
Diet type- Omnivores
Aquarium size- 10+ gallons
The ideal temperature of the water- 72°F-82°F
How to Feed the African Dwarf Frog?
The species is omnivorous. From dead, decayed animals to organic foods, they can have everything. The balanced diet of an African dwarf frog includes sinking fish food pellets, bloodworms, shrimps, and so on. Well, for the feeding time, you must be cautious. Do not overfeed your pet ever. Take a standard amount of food and feed it once or twice per day.
Being a pet-lover, it is hard to refrain from feeding your pet frog more than usual. But it is essential for its health. Also, make sure the frozen foods are properly thawed before giving them to the frogs. Click here to know more details about how to feed and look after your pet frog.
How to Keep the Pet Frog?
Though the small pet, the African dwarf frog does not require a large aquarium, make sure the aquarium box has ample place for them to play. And keep the lid tightly closed so that they do not come out of the box while moving into the water. You can keep these frogs with community fish as well. But make sure the fishes are not likely to eat the frogs. You can try fish species like community tetras or loaches.
The experts ask to maintain stable water quality for them. Make sure you have set all of the parameters right. You can go for a water testing service by the professionals to know whether the water is in the proper condition or not.
Check the water filter, temperature, and other equipment every day. A weekly check on the water quality is also important. Change the water on a monthly basis. In this way, you can maintain stable water for your pet African dwarf frog.
How to Check the Good health of your pet frog?
When you keep a pet, especially an aquatic one, it is important to take care of it properly. Keeping an eye on its health is crucial. But pet lovers often find it difficult to get an idea about the health condition of such pets. So, here, we have discussed few ways that will help you to learn about the health of your pet in the water.
Firstly, check whether your frog swims actively or not. A healthy African dwarf frog swims swiftly always. Secondly, check the natural playful activities by them. They have a general tendency to play hide and seek in the water. If your frog is doing so, it is perfectly fine. Thirdly, check their eating patterns. If they are not having their food properly, there is something wrong.
A healthy and sound frog mostly has clear eyes and smooth skin. So, check this sign as well. And most importantly, check if they are at the bottom half of the aquarium. The sick frogs are not likely to stay there. The symptoms like bloating, weight loss, loss of appetite, etc. are the signs of the occurrence of disease. So, if any of such odd factors is found, medicate them properly or go to a specialist for expert suggestions.
Usually, the frogs feel sick or disease takes place when the aquarium becomes overcrowded with too much of them. So, you should not keep many frogs within the same aquarium. And also as we have mentioned, maintain the quality of the water in the aquarium.
African Dwarf Frog: 5 Interesting Facts You Must Know
Now, before summing up the discussion, let’s know some interesting facts about the species. These will help you to get some more knowledge about them.
- The frogs always remain small. That’s why they were attributed such names.
- They jump well and frequently. Keep your aquarium tightly closed so that they do not jump out of it.
- The frogs are usually peaceful by nature.
- They eat vigorously. So, make sure you provide proper food in the proper amount.
- The African dwarf frogs sing. The humming sound sometimes becomes so loud to be heard from outside the aquarium. It usually takes place during the mating period.
Bottom the Line
Here, you have got every necessary detail about the African dwarf frog. I hope now you are ready to get one of them as your pet buddy. Go to the pet center and buy one for yourself. Enjoy your day with your buddy. If you are interested in keeping puppies as pets, you can get some interesting tips about how to feed them, here.
