Xenopus borealis

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:

Xenopus borealis

Species Authority:

Parker, 1936

Common Name/s:

English

–

Marsabit Clawed Frog

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:	Least Concern ver 3.1
Year Published:	2004
Assessor/s:	Richard Tinsley, John Measey, Kim Howell, Stefan Lötters
Reviewer/s:	Global Amphibian Assessment Coordinating Team (Simon Stuart, Janice Chanson and Neil Cox)
Justification: Listed as Least Concern in view of its relatively 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 has been recorded with certainty from the highlands of Kenya, from Mount Elgon in the west, to Marsabit in the north, and Nairobi in the south. It occurs in the Rift Valley at Lakes Naivasha and Nakuru. There are records from Tanzania at: Bermi near Babati; Serengeti National Park; and Njombe in the south of the country. It seems likely that this species replaces Xenopus muelleri in upland areas through most of East Africa, and many records previously assigned to X. muelleri in the inland parts of East Africa might well refer to this species. It is likely to occur in Uganda. The current map should be considered provisional. It occurs above 1,000m asl, especially above 1,800m asl, and has been found up to 2,400m asl, probably higher.
Countries:	Native: Kenya; Tanzania, United Republic of Presence uncertain: Uganda
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	It is common where it occurs.
Population Trend:	Unknown

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	It is a water-dependent species associated with high-altitude grassland and moorland, including pastureland. It does not occur in forest. It lives and breeds in pools and slow-flowing streams.
Systems:	Terrestrial; Freshwater

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	It is unlikely to be threatened, since it is adaptable, and its habitats are not significantly threatened.

Major Threat(s):

It is unlikely to be threatened, since it is adaptable, and its habitats are not significantly threatened.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	It occurs in the Mount Elgon, Lake Nakuru and Marsabit National Parks, and probably in several other protected areas.

Conservation Actions:

It occurs in the Mount Elgon, Lake Nakuru and Marsabit National Parks, and probably in several other protected areas.

Bibliography [top]

	1996. The Biology of Xenopus. Zoological Society of London, Clarendon Press, London. Channing, A. and Howell, K.M. 2006. Amphibians of East Africa. Edition Chimaira, Frankfurt am Main. Channing, A., Sinclair, A.R.E., Mduma, S.A.R., Moyer, D. and Kreulen, D.A. 2004. Serengeti amphibians: Distribution and Monitoring baseline. African Journal of Herpetology: 163-181. IUCN. 2004. 2004 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. www.iucnredlist.org. Downloaded on 23 November 2004. Kobel, H.R., Barundun, B. and Thiebaud, C.H. 1998. Mitochondrial rDNA phylogeny in Xenopus. Herpetological Journal: 13-17. Lötters, S., Rotich, D., Koester, T.E., Kosuch, J., Muchai, V., Scheelke, K., Schick, S., Teege, P., Wasonga, V.D. and Veith, M. 2006. What do we know about the amphibians from the Kenyan central and western highlands? A faunistic and taxonomic review. Salamandra 42(2-3): 165-179. Pickersgill, M. 2007. Frog Search. Results of Expeditions to Southern and Eastern Africa. Edition Chimaira, Frankfurt am Main. Tymowska, J. and Fischberg, M. 1973. Chromosome complements of the genus Xenopus. Chromosoma: 335-342.

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

Channing, A. and Howell, K.M. 2006. Amphibians of East Africa. Edition Chimaira, Frankfurt am Main.

Channing, A., Sinclair, A.R.E., Mduma, S.A.R., Moyer, D. and Kreulen, D.A. 2004. Serengeti amphibians: Distribution and Monitoring baseline. African Journal of Herpetology: 163-181.

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

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

Lötters, S., Rotich, D., Koester, T.E., Kosuch, J., Muchai, V., Scheelke, K., Schick, S., Teege, P., Wasonga, V.D. and Veith, M. 2006. What do we know about the amphibians from the Kenyan central and western highlands? A faunistic and taxonomic review. Salamandra 42(2-3): 165-179.

Pickersgill, M. 2007. Frog Search. Results of Expeditions to Southern and Eastern Africa. Edition Chimaira, Frankfurt am Main.

Tymowska, J. and Fischberg, M. 1973. Chromosome complements of the genus Xenopus. Chromosoma: 335-342.

Citation:	Richard Tinsley, John Measey, Kim Howell, Stefan Lötters 2004. Xenopus borealis. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 25 May 2012.
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