What Are the Stages of a Dwarf African Frog?

The dwarf African frog lives most of its life underwater, rising to the surface only to breathe air. The frogs have lungs rather than gills. The frogs are small in size, weighing no more than a few ounces. They range in color from olive green to brown and gray; they have a life expectancy of up to five years in captivity. However, the dwarf African frog can live as long as 20 years or more in the wild. The frog inhabits shallow rivers, ponds and creeks in dry seasons and flooded forest areas during wet seasons. They prefer staying at the bottom to be safe from predators.

  1. Frog Eggs

    • The life cycle of the African dwarf frog, like any other frog species, begins with the laying of eggs. The female lays eggs, several thousand of them at a time. The floating clump of eggs is called frog spawn. Not all the eggs make it to the adult stage due to predation. The cell inside the egg splits into two and then into four and this continues until there are several cells inside one egg. When the male calls out to the female, the female African dwarf frog lays the eggs on the surface, scattering them around for the male to fertilize outside the female's body. This is done in short bursts over a period of 30 minutes to a few hours.

    Baby Tadpoles

    • Once the egg has a mass of cells, the cells form an embryo. Soon the organs begin to form. The embryo meanwhile lives of its own internal yolk for about three weeks. After this period, the embryo leaves the jelly-like shell and moves away to attach itself to a weed or plant in the water. This quickly becomes a tadpole, which grows until it is big enough to break free in water. African dwarf frog tadpoles are very small in size and extremely delicate.

    Older Tadpoles

    • The baby tadpoles eat algae and slowly begin to develop their hind and forelegs. The lungs start developing and the tail becomes shorter. Bulges on the head start appearing and the tadpoles begin wiggling their way to the surface to breathe occasionally. Soon the tail becomes larger, helping the tadpole swim around in the water to get food. Older tadpoles start eating plants and other decaying animal matter. Sometimes tadpoles eat the frog eggs and other tadpoles as well.

    Adult Frog

    • The tadpole continues to metamorphosis into an adult frog. The tadpole sheds its skin and lips, the mouth widens, and the jaws get reshaped. The tail becomes very small while the legs grow longer. At this point the lungs should be fully functional; the tail disappears, and the frog can swim well in water. The adult African dwarf frog develops webbing on all four feet, and the eyes are developed flush against the side of the face. Then the cycle of breeding begins all over again.