Golden Clawed Toad

1 Overview

As the name suggests, the golden frog (clawed toad) has a golden body, with females larger than males. It is a versatile and easy-to-keep lab animal, now distributed mainly in southeastern Africa.

Its main trait is that both the larva and the metamorphosed adult live aquatic lives. Although it has strong, muscular hind legs, the fully webbed toes and limited limb support mean it swims well but cannot jump on land. The larva is fully transparent, showing internal structure; the adult is pink and cute. Because of its form, it is extremely useful in research and is an important aquarium pet with a considerable market price. Increasingly people call the albino form the golden frog, beloved by keepers.

Chinese Name: Golden Clawed Toad (Gold Frog)

English Name: African Clawed Toad (Golden form)

Binomial: Xenopus laevis

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Subphylum: Vertebrata

Class: Amphibia

Subclass: Lissamphibia

Order: Anura

Family: Pipidae

Genus: Xenopus

Species: albino form of Xenopus laevis

Distribution: southeastern Africa.

2 Physical Characteristics

The main feature is that both larva and adult live in water; this frog is easy to keep and now very widely used. Despite strong, muscular hind legs, the fully webbed feet and limited limb support mean it swims well but cannot jump on land.

The larva is fully transparent, showing internal structure; the adult is pink and very cute. Adult females reach about 12.5 cm, while males are only about half that length. The body is stout and streamlined. The eyes are small, on top of the head, with no eyelid. There is no tongue and a single Eustachian tube opening. The hind limbs are stout with extremely developed webbing, and the inner three toes are clawed — hence the name clawed toad.

3 Captive Habitat

It is an aquatic animal, living in water from birth to death all year round. In the wild it hibernates yearly by climate, but in captivity usually does not, depending on temperature control.

Keep it indoors in a medium-to-large glass tank or round jar with well water or tap water aerated overnight; water depth 20 cm, temperature 12 to 25°C (within this range it will not hibernate). Place pebbles and large stones in the water to form caves; mount three 20 W daylight lamps on top; use a submersible pump for oxygen and a heater for warmth.

4 Feeding

The golden frog evokes some pity — used as a lab specimen from birth — but it is also kept as a pet, its golden back attracting many fans. How to feed it at home?

Adults are fed 2 to 3 times a week with bloodworms or pork-liver slices; vitamins are generally not needed. It actively seeks food, using its forelimbs to push it into the mouth. Skittish, it usually feeds at night. It is very greedy; intake is proportional to monthly weight gain. Change the tank water after each feeding to keep it healthy and prevent disease. With proper management mortality is low, about 2% per year, and juvenile survival about 75%.