Africa is famous for a couple of things. First of all it is the second largest continent, secondly the most populous continent of the world. It is also famous for the pyramids and Egyptian culture and tradition but apart from all there is also a creature that makes Africa special. It is none other than African Dwarf Frog. You can assume by the name that this frog is a bit shorter than the others and in terms of other frogs they are quiet small. Next you are going to get some amazing information on this species of frog.
African dwarf frog ranges on an average of 1.5 inches in length, which is very tiny in nature. Normally the females are a bit bigger than the males and can grow up to 2 inches. They are native to Sub Saharan Africa and also known by another name Hymenochiru. They live mostly under water and good air breathers which make them easier to spend a lot of time under water. If you are a frog lover and want to keep a frog at your home as pet, dwarf frogs are really a good option for the purpose. So here are some tips that will really help you.
Caring Guidlines for African Dwarf Frogs
Habitat:
a) African Dwarf frogs are fresh water creatures, so it’s better to use unchlorinated water.
b) If you are looking to keep them as your pet, be sure that you provide gallons of water for each frog so that they get enough breathing space.
c) Don’t make too deep aquariums as dwarf frogs are not too good swimmers so it’s great to make the aquarium 2-3 feet in height.
d) Always remember to cover the top of the tan or otherwise the frog will leap out from the tank and will make a mess for you.
Temperature:
a) Remember that these frogs are sub-tropical so you will have to keep the water temperature in a level of 70-75 degree Fahrenheit.
b) During the winter months you will always need some arrangement of heating the water and maintain the temperature.
c) Don’t keep the aquarium dark all the time. Instead you can put onthe lights for 8-10 hours a day which will help them to separate the day and night. It is very important for them as dwarf frogs are actually nocturnal in nature.
Feeding:
a) It is to inform you that these dwarf frogs don’t have a good eye sight and thus they hunt for their foods using their smell power.
b) Normally in the wild they feed themselves on aquatic insects, small fishes, mosquito larvae and various types of worms.
c) But when you are feeding them you can them the food once after a few couple of days. You can use small plates to give them the foods in their aquarium.
d) Provide them with frozen bloodworms. This makes a good diet for them. You can get it any of the pet shops dealing with fish and their feedings.
Community:
a) They are very docile in nature and mix well in the aquarium with other creatures.
b) Gold fish, Guppies, Small Catfish, Swordtails, Beta fish, platies etc. all makes a good community with the dwarf frogs.
Plants:
a) Aquatic plants are really very necessary for the dwarf frogs. They love to hide behind the foliages.
b) They are not destructive to the aquatic plants and so it looks very nice in the aquarium.
c) You guys can also choose fake soft plants to decorate the aquarium. This also works well for the dwarf frogs. But never use hard plastic plants as they can harm the skin of the frog.
Breeding:
a) The breeding behavior of the dwarf frogs are very common process known as Amplecting.
b) The eggs of the female frogs need to be separated from the original aquarium and put on an aerated separate aquarium in about 74-75 degree Fahrenheit.
c) Actually the need of egg separation is because some frog may make mistake and eat those eggs.
d) The tadpoles should be fed with a powdery substance available at the pet shops which helps them in their growth process.
Lastly we want to give you very important information that sometime the frogs will lie in the water in a same place for hours or more. You may think that they are dead but it is not so. They can float motionless in water so they are known to lie still in the water for long time. These African Dwarf Frogs have a life span of about 18 years.
Lastly this article is a good source of your introductory information of dwarf frogs and how to care them as a pet. Now it’s time to make them your pet as it is not tougher than caring just a goldfish. Frog lovers go ahead.
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