Xenopus

[kmhort]

Will a female Xenopus lay eggs without a male in the tank?
If they can, I owe Her an apology, because I have been calling it a him all this time! Oopps!

[Tom Highum]

Yes it is a her. Does anyone know if they are capable of parthenogenesis? What type of Xenopus? tropicalis? laevis? how long have you had her?

[kmhort]

She is an Albino African Clawed Frog. I got her at a Walmart the day before Christmas last year so she's somewhere in the nieghborhood of 9 months old.

[Tom Highum]

Hmm i don't know she may just be laying unfertilized eggs or again it could be parthenogenesis. Wait till someone more knowledgeable can answer.

[kmhort]

Thank you. Maybe Kurt or John might know later.

[Kurt]

They were used in pregnancy test years ago. When a woman was suspected of being pregnant, her urine was diluted and either put in the frog's water or injected directly into the frog. If she was pregnant the frog would start laying eggs.

So if your frog is laying eggs, without a male present, then I would say that the water has elevated hormone levels. How is this possible? Birth control pills. As women use these pills the hormones are carried in her urine. From there is goes down the toilet and depending on the system used, into a sceptic tank or sewage system. From there it can enter the water table and be carried right back into your tap.

Also to note, there is a study being done in CT studying this phenomenon. In a surburban neighborhood they have found the birth control hormones in the local ponds. It has started to turn male frogs into female frogs.