General information about african dwarf frogs (Hymenochirus sp.)
  all contents such as text and pictorial material are subject to (c) Zwergkrallenfroesche.de

African dwarf frogs, which you can buy in pet stores, it concerns usually about Hymenochirus boettgeri. In addition, Hymenochirus curtipes is still quite far common. These two kinds of frogs differ only slightly in their look and not in its keeping conditions. Therefore one can generally speak of Hymenochirus sp., because this unites the different subspecies. African dwarf frogs become, contrary to African claw frogs (Xenopus), which becomes up to 13 cm long, only about 3 cm long (the males reach for instance a length from 2.8 to 3.1 cm and the females a length of approximately 3 - 3.5 cm). African dwarf frogs (ADFs) become about 5 years old.
If one should see albino (lightbeige) froggys in an aquarium, then it concerns thereby of a Xenopus kind (ACF), which becomes much more largely (!). Generally one can differ african dwarf frogs from african claw frogs, by taking a look at the front extremities. If the frog has no swimming skins between his fingers, then it concerns not about a Hymenochirus kind, but another kind of african frog (Xenopus).

The name "african dwarf (claw) frog" therefore results that there are evenly also different kinds of frogs, and that the frogs at the fingers and toes have small claws. At the toes the three inner claws are black (Hymenochirus).

African dwarf frogs are frogs liviving durably under water (aquatic) and they do not go ashore. They come to the water surface in order to breathe. If water conditions are bad, or if they can't find food anymore, then they try possibly to escape from the tank.
Like all amphibians they are change warm (poikilotherm), thus they can't adjust their bodytemperature by themselves, but adapt their metabolism to the environmental condition.

The homeland of the dwarf frog is west Africa. You can find it for instance in Zaire and Cameroon. The kinds offered in pet stores are usually breed in your country and are no imports. Xenopus is oftenly used in scientific research, and practicals for students of biology.

You can keep it good at home with 24 - 30 °C temperatur in an tank with soft to middlehard  water and a pH between 6.5 and 7.8. The water level should be at least 8 cm.

The frogs hide themselves gladly under large leaves or stones and come to the breathing-in to the surface from time to time. If they sleep or sit to rest themselves, they oftenly sit down on an aquatic plant for example, in such a way that their nostrils look out straight from the water.

The frogs skins themselves occasionally. You don't need to make yourself concernes, if you suddenly see the skin. The skin should be removed after one day from the aquarium. The frogs also possibly eat it up.

The animals must be fed attentively, in particular in a tank socialized with fish. The fish realize their prey substantially faster than the african dwarf frogs. The froggys don't chew their food, but suck it into their muzzle and swallow it down. For this reason they favourize slim, worm-like food animals as for example red mosquito larvae (bloodworms) or tubifex worms.

If you feed living food, then you should put this into water in a separate container, so that the worms can empty their intestine completely and separate possible pollutants. During this time the water must be replaced two times daily against stagnant, clean water. You can feed the so the "cleaned" worms and it becomes also enthusiastically accepted by the frogs. Please only make certain that the froggys will not be over-fed because they eventually could die.

ADFs and ACFs are breathing over their lungs, but do also take up a part of the necessary oxygen over the skin (as a larva exclusive breathes over the skin). The portion of the skin respiration amounts about 1/3 with the resting frog, and during activity phases only 1/10 of total respiration, for instance.