The African clawed frog is named for its three short claws on their hind feet.

The average adult African clawed frog is around 5 inches long, with the females being 20% larger than the males.

Both genders have smooth, slippery skin with a greenish-gray coloring and cream-colored stomach. Albino variations are common and sold as pets.

The blotchy texture of the African clawed frog’s skin gives them camouflage and their eyes and nose are on top of their head so they aren’t so visible. Even if they are detected, their powerful legs allow them to swim at high speeds in any direction.

The African clawed frog can be found in the Sub-Saharan parts of Africa but have been introduced to North and South America, and Europe.

African clawed frogs are mainly carnivorous, eating small fish, insects, and worms.

Since these frogs do not have teeth or a tongue, they need to find other ways of ingesting food. African clawed frogs will usually lunge at prey and use their hands to shove food into their mouths and down their throat. If the prey is larger, they shred it with their claws.

They have stitch marks along the sides of their bodies that acts like sensory organs to detect prey around them.

African clawed frogs can mate year-round but usually happens in the spring. Males will vocalize by contracting their throat muscles, and females can answer the call or reject it. This is rare in nature as females usually don’t answer the calls. After mating, the female African clawed frog will lay thousands of eggs underwater. The tadpoles will spend their life in the water until they grow legs giving them access to riverbanks.

The African clawed frog is the only amphibian in the world that can climb and shred its food.

When food and water is scarce, the African clawed frog will burrow itself in the mud and remain dormant for up to a year!