AFRICAN CLAWED FROG

CHARACTERISTICS: It can measure up to 12 cm long with body and head flattened but without the tongue. Its name comes from the three claws on the back legs, the function of which are to bury itself into the mud to hide from predators. The females tend to be larger than the males, and can reach sizes of up to almost 15cm in some cases.
DIET: It is a scavenger, eating any organic remains either dead or alive that pass close to it, with a preference for arthropods.
REPRODUCTION: Mating can take place at any time of year, but it is more common in spring, and it can take place up to four times a year. It tends to happen at night. The female can deposit hundreds of sticky eggs during 3-4 hours. The males vocalise at night in order to attract females. The females respond to the call with either an acceptance (a rapping noise) or a rejection (slow tic-tac sound).
CURIOSITIES: It is much used in developmental biology. Introduced into Europe and America, it has become a plague in some countries and threatens local fauna. It was famous for many years for the famous “frog test” given that the hormones contained in the urine of a pregnant woman provoked egg-laying in female xenopus when administered by injection.