Pipidae - Tongueless Frogs

There are 41 species of aquatic frogs in this family. They are found in South America and Sub-Saharan Africa.

They have webbed feet, no tongue, and claws on one or more of their toes.

The frogs in this family rarely come out of the water. They even have a special adaptation in their ears that allows them to hear underwater.

Just like fish, the frogs in this family have a lateral line on the sides of their body that helps them sense motion in the water.

AFRICAN CLAWED FROG

The African clawed frog has been introduced to North America. Populations of African clawed frogs have been reported in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

They were used in human pregnancy tests in the 1940s and 1950s. When a female African clawed frog is injected with the urine of a pregnant woman, she begins laying eggs.

When better techniques were discovered for determining if a woman was pregnant, the African clawed frogs were released into the wild. They were also introduced when people who kept them as pets released them, or when they escaped.

Did You Know?

African clawed frog
The African clawed frog is one of the species in this family.

World Status Key

Status and range is taken from IUCN Redlist

Least Concern
Near Threatened
Vulnerable
Endangered
Critically Endangered
Extinct in the Wild
Extinct
Not Enough Data

U.S. Status Key

Status taken from US Fish and Wildlife

Threatened in US
Endangered in US
Introduced

NH Status Key

Status taken from NH Fish and Game

Threatened in NH
Endangered in NH
Breeds in NH (birds)

Location Key

Africa
Asia
Australia/Oceania
Europe
North/Central America
south america alt
South America

New Hampshire Species

No animals found.

Other Species Around the World

No animals found.

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