The western clawed frog is a medium-sized species with a somewhat flattened body and a snout-vent length of 28 to 55 mm (1.1 to 2.2 in), females being larger than males.

A row of unpigmented dermal tubercles runs along the flank from just behind the eye, and are thought to represent a lateral line organ.

[9] The western clawed frog is an aquatic species and is found in the West African rainforest belt with a range stretching from Senegal to Cameroon and eastern Zaire.

It is generally considered a forest-dwelling species and inhabits slow-moving streams, but it is also found in pools and temporary ponds in the northern Guinea and Sudan savannas.

[11] Experimentation involving sex-reversed individuals, gynogenesis, triploids, and conventional crosses, has determined that X. tropicalis has three sex chromosomes: Y, W, and Z.

[11] As a result of this sex determination system, both male and female X. tropicalis can be either heterogametic or homogametic which is extremely rare in nature.

[12] Additionally, all three sex chromosomes have been found to exist together in X. tropicalis populations in Ghana and potentially elsewhere in its range as well.

[12] The IUCN lists the western clawed frog as "Least Concern" because it has a wide distribution and is an adaptable species living in a range of habitats, and the population trend seems to be steady.

[1] Xenopus embryos and eggs are a popular model system for a wide range of biomedical research.

[3][13] This animal is widely used because of its powerful combination of experimental tractability and close evolutionary relationship with humans, at least compared to many model organisms.

[13] Unlike its sister species X. laevis, X. tropicalis is diploid and has a short generation time, facilitating genetic studies.