You’re a new breeder. You’re trying to invest some time and effort in breeding a pair of African Dwarf Frogs. However, you have no experience with this. Well, the first issue you may run into when purchasing frogs is figuring out how to actually tell an African Dwarf Frog’s gender.
The African Dwarf Frog, as the name suggests, is a species of aquatic frog that has vastly grown in popularity due to its easy maintenance. As with all frog species, there are male and female variants of these frogs. However, telling them apart can be tricky as they are both pretty similar in appearance.
Today, I will give you some tips on how to identify the males and females of this particular species. Let’s jump into it!
How do you tell the differences between male and female African Dwarf Frogs?
Image Credits: Instagram, bubblesthefrogo
Unfortunately, both males and females of this species of frog look very alike, and there are no apparent gender-specific distinctions between the two. They are identical in terms of their shapes and colors as well. You have to look very closely in order to tell them apart. I’ll now list a few characteristics that will make it easier for you to recognize them.
The major difference between the males and the females is their call. The ones calling constantly are the males because only the males call in order to attract the females for mating. Females do sometimes make some noise, but this is the case only when they’re annoyed, or they are responding to the males.
Another distinctive feature is the size of the African Dwarf Frog. These frogs are pretty small, growing up to 1.5 inches in size. Even though the difference is negligible, females are larger than males. You have to inspect the frogs very closely in order to tell them apart.
While you’re looking at them closely, search for a white bumpy section on the backside of the frontal legs. This is called a “subdermal gland”. It is a distinctive feature of the male African dwarf frog.
It’s pretty easy to tell their genders apart in the mating season. You’ll see the males croaking, and they are also seen mounted on the backs of the females. If you see two frogs clinging together, the one on top is the male one.
Once the females have conceived, they appear a little bit larger, as they fatten up while carrying eggs.
Do African Dwarf Frogs have the ability to change their gender?
Image Credits: Instagram, bubblesthefrogo
It is a well-known fact that many frog species contain intersexual frogs that switch from or revert into one sex to the other. These frogs have the physical traits of both males and females. There is no exact answer to why they do this. Some popular speculations include weather, temperature, and reproduction.
So you might be wondering, do African Dwarf Frogs belong to this?
Well, African Dwarf Frogs have been observed to experience sexual reversal, intersexuality, or hermaphroditic birth. The distinctive characteristics of this frog species makes researchers look at it a lot when researching frog genders. Trying to do this without proper research equipment is impossible, so don’t try it on your own.
Wrapping Up
Unless you come across an intersexual frog, look closely for the subdermal gland when purchasing or capturing this species. This is the most obvious physical identification of a male African Dwarf Frog. Once you’ve found one with the gland, it’s time to look for one without it and you’ll have your pair for breeding.
Feature Image Credits: Instagram, african_dwarf_frogs01
