Do African Dwarf Frogs Need Land?

You’ve decided to keep some African dwarf frogs in an aquarium, but you’re not sure what type of habitat they need. But can they survive on land in their natural habitats?

African dwarf frogs don’t need land to survive. They are completely aquatic by nature. They stay in the water their whole lives.

As a matter of fact, if an African dwarf frog is out of the water for 10 minutes, it becomes very dehydrated and dies. Read on to the article to learn more about the environment African dwarf frogs need to live in.

What Are The Ideal Tank And Water Conditions?

If you want to prevent health issues and diseases of your African Dwarf Frog you must keep the water and tank clean. Nutritious food and proper care will maintain a perfect living condition for your pet frog.

These are some suggested values to be aware of:

• Water temperature – The ideal temperature is from 22 to 25 degrees Celsius. 
• pH level – The pH level from 6.5 to 7.8 is suitable.
• Water hardness – gH level of 5 to 20 is suitable.

Do African Dwarf Frogs need A Lot Of Space?

You must have around 3 to 5 liters of clean water for every African Dwarf frog you want to have in the tank.

African Dwarf Frogs don’t need much space, but love to have some freedom. A tank of around 10–15 gallons is enough if you just have a handful of frogs.

As we know, wild frogs are found mostly in ponds. During the rainy season, they also prefer to migrate into flooded woodlands. The tanks should not be too deep.

Do African Dwarf Frogs Prefer Sand Or Gravel?

Dwarf frogs regularly swim to the top of the water’s surface to get air. They are also bottom dwellers who like to stay closer to the soil. Keep tank depths moderate so that these frogs can access air easily.

Sand is an excellent substrate to fill up the tank bottom. Gravel also helps, but they must be big enough so that your frogs do not consume them.

When it comes to decorations, plants like Elodea Densa, Red Ludwigia, Marimo Ball can be some of the good options. Frogs may eat these plants and hide in them.

Don’t be scared if you discover your frog sitting on the huge plants with leaves that reach the surface.

Simply ensure that all the living plants are firmly attached to the soil. If given the chance, African Dwarf Frogs are very good at digging and they will remove your plants. Add lots of hiding places with stones and other toys to complement the plants.

Do African Dwarf Frogs Hide Under Gravel?

One of the reasons African Dwarf Frogs are so popular is because they are entertaining to watch. They become quite busy once the sun goes down.

These frogs will employ their natural camouflage to hide under the gravel from predators if they feel threatened. To avoid detection, they would swim behind rocks or among plants. You could notice some odd behavior if they don’t have any dangers in their tank.

Although these frogs are aquatic, they have fully formed lungs. As a result, they swim quickly to the surface of the water to get some air and then swim to the base to hide behind leaves and rocks.

African Dwarf Frogs like floating above the surface of the water and extend their arms wide open. It’s easy to assume they’re dead at first glimpse. But don’t worry, they’re simply having a good time!

These frogs are naturally peaceful and get along well with other aquatic frogs. Small fish are the only ones that may have temperament difficulties. They may mistake the fish for food and attempt to eat it.

Otherwise, African Dwarf Frogs remain fascinating animals to observe. They may also be quite vocal. When the sun goes down, male frogs make buzzing noises to attract female frogs.

Which Frogs Can Live On Dry Land?

Frogs that live on dry land are known as land frogs, terrestrial frogs, or toads. Frogs and toads are members of the Anura order. Although few frog species live on land, most begin their lives as tadpoles in water before migrating to marshes or vegetative land.

Terrestrial frogs are predators that live mostly on land. They are frequently bigger than aquatic frogs.

Here are some commonly found terrestrial frogs:

Name	Description
Leopard Frog	Leopard frogs are 5 inches long and slender. These brown-to-green frogs have light green stripes on their backs and jawlines. They are night-hunting predators. Leopard frogs eat earthworms, spiders, and insects.
Red-Legged Walking Frog	The red-legged walking frog walks or runs on its hind legs. Many of these tree-dwelling frogs are terrestrial. Crimson-legged walking frogs are gray with crimson hips and armpits.
American Bullfrog	The bullfrog is North America’s largest frog. These green-to-gray frogs have large, spherical tympana, or eardrums. Males are territorial and aggressive. Nocturnal land frogs eat rats, mice, fish, birds, and even other frogs.
Pac-man Frog	Pac-Man frogs, also called ornate horned frogs, have broad jaws. The Pac-Man frog sits still, waiting for food. The Pac-Man frog has two rows of strong teeth on his upper jaw and isn’t frightened of bigger prey. These green-to-orange frogs may live 15 years in captivity.
Spotted-Chorus Frog	Spotted chorus frogs are gray or olive in color with vivid green spots that are black outlined. They have circular toe pads and a green eye triangle. They trill harshly. In dry conditions, they crawl underground in damp meadows and prairies.
Rio Grande Leopard Frog	Rio Grande leopard frogs are about 4 inches long and are either pale green or brown with dark spots. They live in dry places near rivers, creeks, and brooks. They eat insects and anything else they can fit in their mouths. Since they are nocturnal, they dig holes in the cool, moist soil to stay cool during the day.
Green Treefrog	Treefrogs live in the tropical rainforests near water. The bodies are bright green and thin, and the jaws and back legs have white or yellow stripes. Big pads on the fingers and toes, and white lips. These frogs live in groups of 700 and make sounds like cowbells.

Which Frogs Are Fully Aquatic?

All aquatic frogs live in bodies of water and have long, strong legs with webbed feet that let them swim. Aquatic frogs spend most of their days sitting in water to keep hydrated and oxygenated.

Here are some fully aquatic frogs found in nature:

Name	Description
African Clawed Frog	The African clawed frog is named for the short claws on its strong hind feet. It almost never leaves the water. These frogs don’t have tongues or teeth. They don’t need much care and can live up to 20 years or more in the best conditions.
Surinam Tod Frog	Surinam toads lead solitary, uneventful lives. They eat worms and small crustaceans that live in water, as well as small fish with bones. Both sexes have sensory organs in their fingertips to look for food.
Western Clawed Frog	These frogs reside in West Africa’s rainforests. The Front legs are weak, while the back legs are muscular for swimming. They like swamps, marshes, rivers, and stream bottoms. The species eats invertebrates like worms, grubs, and other frogs’ tadpoles.
Zaire Dwarf Clawed Frog	The Zaire dwarf’s long lifespan and gentle nature make it a popular pet. Their skin dries very rapidly, therefore they can’t be handled much. In captivity, they’re good swimmers, inquisitive, and lively.
Green Puddle Frog	These frogs are quite little at 1.5 inches. Hardy, lively, and non-picky, they make wonderful pets. Because they’re quiet, pet owners often keep them with fish and frogs. Green puddle frogs eat crickets, worms, and flies.
Wester Dwarf Clawed Frog	The western dwarf clawed frog is another underwater dwarf frog that you can buy in pet stores and on the Internet. You can also tell them apart from young Xenopus by seeing if their front feet have webbing.

Conclusion

African dwarf frogs spend their whole lives in the water but must come to the surface to breathe air since they lack gills. They don’t need land to survive.

African dwarf frogs are incredibly active and seldom remain idle for long. Because of their social nature, these frogs should be raised in groups of 2 to 5.

Because these frogs are not amazing swimmers, the current of the water must be maintained low. Too deep tanks may also interfere with their capacity to breathe.

These frogs must not be taken out of the tank for more than 10 minutes. Otherwise, they will get dehydrated and eventually die.