African Clawed Frog

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African Clawed Frog
Photo Information
Copyright: jitti coowanitwong (jcoowanitwong) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1597 W: 0 N: 2850] (11459)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2006-09-02
Categories: Amphibians
Camera: canon s3 is
Exposure: f/3.5, 1/8 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2006-09-02 10:12
Viewed: 1941
Points: 24
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
I went to 'Bangkok Aquarium', a small fresh water aquarium located inside a university, around noon today. The exhibition area a bit dark to suit the water animal environment. Not an ideal place for phototaking. This picture was taken through glass pane and without tripod.

African Clawed Frog (Albino)

Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Pipidae
Genus: Xenopus
Species: Xenopus laevis

Geographic Range
Xenopus laevis occurs naturally in southern Africa. There are substantial introduced populations in California, Chile, Great Britain, and probably many other locations around the world.

Habitat
X. laevis lives in warm, stagnant grassland ponds as well as in streams in arid and semi-arid regions. The ponds are usually devoid of any higher plant vegetation, and covered in green algae. X. laevis can tolerate wide variation in water pH, but the presence of metal ions proves toxic. It thrives in temperatures from 60 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. It is almost totally aquatic, only leaving the water when forced to migrate.

Physical Description
X. laevis has a unique morphology because it lacks a tongue and a visible ear. The body is flattened and head is wedge-shaped and smaller than the body. It has two small eyes found on the top of the head and no eyelids. Its front limbs are small and are not webbed, and its hind legs are large and webbed and the three inside toes on either foot have claws. It has smooth slippery skin which is multicolored on its back with blotches of olive gray or brown and gray, while the underside is creamy white with a yellow tinge. It has lateral lines along its back. Males weigh about 60 grams, are about 5 to 6 centimeters long, and lack a vocal sac, which most male frogs have. Females weigh about 200 grams, are about 10 to 12 centimeters long, and have cloacal extensions at the end of the abdomen.

Behavior
X. laevis is a rather inactive creature. It is incredibly hardy and can live up to 15 years. At times the ponds that X. laevis is found in dry up, compelling it, in the dry season, to burrow into the mud, leaving a tunnel for air. It may lie dormant for up to a year. If the pond dries up in the rainy season, X. laevis may migrate long distances to another pond, maintaining hydration by the rains. It is an adept swimmer, swimming in all directions with ease. It is barely able to hop, but it is able to crawl. It spends most of its time underwater and comes to surface to breathe. Respiration is predominantly through its well developed lungs; there is little cutaneous respiration.

Conservation Status
It is an invasive species all over world because it was used in human pregnancy tests in the 1940's. When more effective means of pregnancy tests were made available, many X. laevis were released all over the world.

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Xenopus_laevis.html
claudine, jmp, uleko, thor68, aido, valy67, dew77 has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

Hi Jitti,
What an unusual frog! It is the first time I see one like this :) There are good details and nice POV and I like the frog's pose. The picture is noisy though but I like it anyway:) Interesting notes. TFS,
Claudine

  • Great 
  • jmp Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1898 W: 94 N: 2375] (8394)
  • [2006-09-02 11:03]

Hi Jitti,
The most rare frog I never saw! Very good details and excellent note. I have no idea about pregnancy test with this frog!
TFS, José M.

  • Great 
  • uleko Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2297 W: 163 N: 6694] (21146)
  • [2006-09-02 12:50]

Very weird creature! You've succeeded so well in portraying it displaying all the details. Well done through the glass. Interesting notes!!
Regards, Ulla

  • Great 
  • osse Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1033 W: 0 N: 87] (7625)
  • [2006-09-02 18:45]

Hi Jitti
Well seen and captured. Good colours, details and POV. Also good note.
Well done mf

osse

  • Great 
  • Graal Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Silver Note Writer [C: 780 W: 29 N: 20] (4944)
  • [2006-09-03 3:06]

Hi Jitti,
unusual frog, good shot. Nice colours and interesting note. Well done photo.
Gr., Aleksander

oooh, what´s that? alien? *g*
great shot and presentation of this unusual species, jitti! :-)
good low pov on eye-level and well managed exposure
and photographing through the glass.
excellent job & terrific note, thorsten.

  • Great 
  • aido Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1103 W: 173 N: 1227] (4038)
  • [2006-09-04 10:14]

Hi Jitti,
A very interesting post, a great note. Great image of this unusual little creature too, good sharp detail and excellent exposure. Nice view of his unwebbed front feet, a shame we can't see the clawed rear feet. I really enjoyed this post, well done.
Regards,
Adrian

  • Great 
  • edal Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 383 W: 52 N: 413] (1837)
  • [2006-09-04 13:51]

Hi Jitty!
This time not one of your remarkable insects, but an amphibian - and again a perfect photo. I know how difficult is to shoot through an aquarium glass - you have done it perfectly!
Anton

  • Great 
  • valy67 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1318 W: 52 N: 1782] (5274)
  • [2006-09-04 16:20]

Hi Jitti !
This is one strange frog ! It has unusual white color, and unusual big feet - I have never seen something like that before ! :-) It is an excellent shot ! Details, colors, exposure, composition, POV, I like everything here. Really very strange ! Well done !
valérie.

  • Great 
  • dew77 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5171 W: 297 N: 4050] (13069)
  • [2006-09-05 2:53]

Hello Jitti,
Very interesting frog i'd never seen before.
Well caught,framed and composed.Excellent work!
TFS...:-)

jc.,
Love your commentary & notes.
A most interesting species of frog. Had never
seen one like this one. TFS.
Love the clear details you managed to register
inspite of the difficulty of the glass barrier.
Well done. Congratulations,
M.

Excellent detail is this wonderful capture of the clawed frog. You really got the exposure perfect for this somewhat difficult shot. :)

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