Silurana epitropicalis

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

Bibliography

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	AMPHIBIA	ANURA	PIPIDAE

Scientific Name:

Silurana epitropicalis

Species Authority:

(Fischberg, Colombelli and Picard, 1982)

Common Name/s:

English

–

Cameroon Clawed Frog

Taxonomic Notes:

This form is a tetraploid species. There are probably other species to be discovered in this genus (R.C. Tinsley pers. comm.). The Sanaga River in Cameroon has arbitrarily been set as the boundary between this species and Silurana tropicalis, pending more information (Loumont 1983).

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:	Least Concern ver 3.1
Year Published:	2004
Assessor/s:	Richard Tinsley, John Measey, Marius Burger
Reviewer/s:	Global Amphibian Assessment Coordinating Team (Simon Stuart, Janice Chanson and Neil Cox)
Justification: Listed as Least Concern in view of its wide distribution, its presumed large population, and because it is unlikely to be declining fast enough to qualify for listing in a more threatened category.

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	This species' distribution is very poorly known. There are records from: Garamba National Park in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo; Kinshasa in western Democratic Republic of Congo; northeastern Angola; several localities covering most of Gabon; Point Noire in Congo; mainland Equatorial Guinea; and Longyi, Akok, Efulen, Bipindi, Nkoemvone and Ebolowa in Cameroon south of the Sanaga River. We follow Loumont (1983) in provisionally assigning records to the west and north of the Sanaga River to Silurana tropicalis. The distribution map should be considered as provisional.
Countries:	Native: Angola; Cameroon; Central African Republic; Congo; Congo, The Democratic Republic of the; Equatorial Guinea; Gabon Presence uncertain: Sudan
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	It is a very abundant species locally.
Population Trend:	Decreasing

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	It is a water-dependent species, that is found in small water holes in lowland rainforest around 1m deep and 1-2m in diameter. It can tolerate some habitat disturbance, but require canopy cover over its ponds. It has filter-feeding tadpoles.
Systems:	Terrestrial; Freshwater

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	It is presumably affected, at least locally, by severe forest loss such as clear felling, and the expansion of open agricultural systems.

Major Threat(s):

It is presumably affected, at least locally, by severe forest loss such as clear felling, and the expansion of open agricultural systems.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	It occurs in a number of protected areas.

Conservation Actions:

It occurs in a number of protected areas.

Bibliography [top]

	1996. The Biology of Xenopus. Zoological Society of London, Clarendon Press, London. Burger, M., Branch, W.R. and Channing, A. 2004. Amphibians and reptiles of Monts Doudou, Gabon: species turnover along an elevational gradient. California Academy of Sciences Memoir: 145-186. Channing, A. 2001. Amphibians of Central and Southern Africa. Cornell University Press, Ithaca and London. Fischberg, M., Colombelli, B. and Picard, J.-J. 1982. Diagnose preliminaire d'une espece nouvelle de Xenopus du Zaire. Alytes: 53-55. Frétey, T. and Blanc, C.P. 2000. Liste des Amphibiens d'Afrique Centrale. ADIE, Libreville, Gabon. Frétey, T. and Blanc, C.P. 2001. Inventaire systématique des Amphibiens Anoures du centre du Gabon. Bulletin de la Société Zoologique de France: 375-390. Frétey, T. and Dewynter, M. 1998. Amphibiens anoures de la Foret des Abeilles (Gabon). Journal of African Zoology: 171-184. IUCN. 2004. 2004 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. www.iucnredlist.org. Downloaded on 23 November 2004. Knoepffler, L.-P. 1967. Xenopus fraseri X Xenopus tropicalis, hybride naturel d'amphibiens anoures au Gabon. Compte. Rend. Acad. Sci., Paris: 1391-1393. Kobel, H.R., Barundun, B. and Thiebaud, C.H. 1998. Mitochondrial rDNA phylogeny in Xenopus. Herpetological Journal: 13-17. Largen, M.J. and Dowsett-Lemaire, F. 1991. Amphibians (Anura) from the Kouilou River basin, Republique du Congo. Tauraco Research Report: 145-168. Lötters, S., Gossmann, V., Obame, F. and Böhme, W. 2001. Zur Herpetofauna Gabuns, Teil I: Einleitung, Untersuchungsgebiet und Methodik, kommentierte Artenliste der gefundenen Froschlurche. Herpetofauna: 19-34. Loumont, C. 1983. Deux especes nouvelles de Xenopus du Cameroun (Amphibia, Pipidae). Rev. Suisse Zool.: 169-177. Loumont, C. 1984. Current distribution of the genus Xenopus in Africa and future prospects. Rev. Suisse Zool.: 725-746. Ruas, C. 1996. Contribuicao para o conhecimento da fauna de batraquios de Angola. Garcia de Orta. Ser. Zool. (Lisboa): 19-41. Tymowska, J. and Fischberg, M. 1982. A comparison of the karyotype, constitutive heterochromatin, and nucleolar organizer regions of the new tetraploid species Xenopus epitropicalis Fischberg and Picard with those of Xenopus tropicalis Gray (Anura, Pipidae). Cytogenetics and Cell Genetics: 149-157.

1996. The Biology of Xenopus. Zoological Society of London, Clarendon Press, London.

Burger, M., Branch, W.R. and Channing, A. 2004. Amphibians and reptiles of Monts Doudou, Gabon: species turnover along an elevational gradient. California Academy of Sciences Memoir: 145-186.

Channing, A. 2001. Amphibians of Central and Southern Africa. Cornell University Press, Ithaca and London.

Fischberg, M., Colombelli, B. and Picard, J.-J. 1982. Diagnose preliminaire d'une espece nouvelle de Xenopus du Zaire. Alytes: 53-55.

Frétey, T. and Blanc, C.P. 2000. Liste des Amphibiens d'Afrique Centrale. ADIE, Libreville, Gabon.

Frétey, T. and Blanc, C.P. 2001. Inventaire systématique des Amphibiens Anoures du centre du Gabon. Bulletin de la Société Zoologique de France: 375-390.

Frétey, T. and Dewynter, M. 1998. Amphibiens anoures de la Foret des Abeilles (Gabon). Journal of African Zoology: 171-184.

IUCN. 2004. 2004 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. www.iucnredlist.org. Downloaded on 23 November 2004.

Knoepffler, L.-P. 1967. Xenopus fraseri X Xenopus tropicalis, hybride naturel d'amphibiens anoures au Gabon. Compte. Rend. Acad. Sci., Paris: 1391-1393.

Kobel, H.R., Barundun, B. and Thiebaud, C.H. 1998. Mitochondrial rDNA phylogeny in Xenopus. Herpetological Journal: 13-17.

Largen, M.J. and Dowsett-Lemaire, F. 1991. Amphibians (Anura) from the Kouilou River basin, Republique du Congo. Tauraco Research Report: 145-168.

Lötters, S., Gossmann, V., Obame, F. and Böhme, W. 2001. Zur Herpetofauna Gabuns, Teil I: Einleitung, Untersuchungsgebiet und Methodik, kommentierte Artenliste der gefundenen Froschlurche. Herpetofauna: 19-34.

Loumont, C. 1983. Deux especes nouvelles de Xenopus du Cameroun (Amphibia, Pipidae). Rev. Suisse Zool.: 169-177.

Loumont, C. 1984. Current distribution of the genus Xenopus in Africa and future prospects. Rev. Suisse Zool.: 725-746.

Ruas, C. 1996. Contribuicao para o conhecimento da fauna de batraquios de Angola. Garcia de Orta. Ser. Zool. (Lisboa): 19-41.

Tymowska, J. and Fischberg, M. 1982. A comparison of the karyotype, constitutive heterochromatin, and nucleolar organizer regions of the new tetraploid species Xenopus epitropicalis Fischberg and Picard with those of Xenopus tropicalis Gray (Anura, Pipidae). Cytogenetics and Cell Genetics: 149-157.

Citation:	Richard Tinsley, John Measey, Marius Burger 2004. Silurana epitropicalis. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 25 May 2012.
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