Developement of African Dwarf Clawed Frog tadpoles

The shortest period I know of from literature (BEUTELSCHIEß & BEUTELSCHIEß 1986) for the tadpole development of Hymenochirus boettgeri is 36 days. I have raised them in about 26 days.

Here is a list of ADCF breeding articles:

• BEUTELSCHIEß & BEUTELSCHIEß 1986
• KUNZ 1996
• VON FILEK 1985
• SOKOL 1959 and
• SOKOL 1962.

This list is not complete!

Here, briefly, are the most significant stages of ADCF tadpole development:

• About two days after egg laying the 3-4mm long tadpoles hatch from the 2mm diameter eggs (1mm diameter in the centre). They are pale coloured or dark brownish and hang around the whole tank looking like little commas.
• A few days later they begin to swim freely and have bodies that look like tiny balls. The tail is very thin which, when viewed from above, resembles a thread or line. At this stage they are 5-6 mms long.
• In the following weeks the body turns a more oval shape and the tail gets stronger. Development is very fast, one of the fastest of all anurans.

The next stages are as described in BEUTELSCHIEß & BEUTELSCHIEß 1986:

• after 10 days: first signs of the hind legs are visible at the base of the tail
• after 19 days: the tadpoles are able to move their hind legs
• after 24-25 days: the front legs begin to appear
• after 30 days: the tail is completely absorbed
• after 35 days: the young frogs are 1cm long