What is the scientific name of the African clawed frog?

The scientific name of the African clawed frog is Xenopus laevis. It is an aquatic frog in the family Pipidae, native across much of sub-Saharan Africa and named for the short black claws on its hind feet.

The genus name Xenopus means “strange foot,” while laevis means “smooth.” Unlike many familiar frogs, this species is tongueless, toothless, and completely aquatic. It uses its hands and a specialized throat pump to move food into its mouth, and its powerful hind legs propel it through ponds and other still or slow-moving waters.

Xenopus laevis became one of biology’s most important laboratory animals because females can produce large, accessible eggs and embryos. In the 1930s, researchers discovered that injecting urine from a pregnant woman into a female African clawed frog could trigger egg release. This became an early biological pregnancy test before modern immunological tests replaced it.

It is often confused with the related, smaller western clawed frog, Xenopus tropicalis. The names Hyla cinerea, Bufo bufo, and Rana temporaria refer to different frog species.