Xenopus petersii

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 petersii

Species Authority:

Bocage, 1895

Common Name/s:

English

–

Peters' Platanna

Taxonomic Notes:

This species is part of a complex of poorly understood species closely related to Xenopus laevis.

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:	Least Concern ver 3.1
Year Published:	2004
Assessor/s:	Richard Tinsley, John Measey, Marius Burger, Thierry Fretey
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 tolerance of a broad range of habitats, 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 ranges from southern Gabon, Congo, Angola and extreme northern Namibia, east to southeastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia, extreme western Zimbabwe and northern Botswana. Records from Tanzania require confirmation.
Countries:	Native: Angola; Botswana; Congo; Congo, The Democratic Republic of the; Gabon; Namibia; Zambia; Zimbabwe Presence uncertain: Tanzania, United Republic of
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	It is an extremely abundant species.
Population Trend:	Stable

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	It is a water-dependent species occurring in a very wide range of habitats, including heavily modified anthropogenic habitats. It lives in all sorts of waterbodies, including streams, but tends to avoid large rivers, and waterbodies with predatory fish. It reaches its highest densities in eutrophic water. It breeds in water; there are no records of it breeding in flowing water. It has very high reproductive potential. It is a highly opportunistic species, and colonizes newly recreated, apparently isolated, waterbodies with ease. It can migrate in large numbers when breeding ponds start to dry up, and the weather is wet.
Systems:	Terrestrial; Freshwater

Habitat and Ecology:

It is a water-dependent species occurring in a very wide range of habitats, including heavily modified anthropogenic habitats. It lives in all sorts of waterbodies, including streams, but tends to avoid large rivers, and waterbodies with predatory fish. It reaches its highest densities in eutrophic water. It breeds in water; there are no records of it breeding in flowing water. It has very high reproductive potential. It is a highly opportunistic species, and colonizes newly recreated, apparently isolated, waterbodies with ease. It can migrate in large numbers when breeding ponds start to dry up, and the weather is wet.

Systems:

Terrestrial; Freshwater

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	It is very successful and adaptable, and is invasive in many areas.

Major Threat(s):

It is very successful and adaptable, and is invasive in many areas.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	It occurs in several protected areas.

Conservation Actions:

It occurs in several protected areas.

Bibliography [top]

	1996. The Biology of Xenopus. Zoological Society of London, Clarendon Press, London. Broadley, D.G. 1971. The reptiles and amphibians of Zambia. Puku: 1-143. 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. 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. Measey, G.J. and Channing, A. 2003. Phylogeography of the genus Xenopus in southern Africa. Amphibia-Reptilia: 321-330. Pickersgill, M. 2007. Frog Search. Results of Expeditions to Southern and Eastern Africa. Edition Chimaira, Frankfurt am Main. Poynton, J.C. 1964. The amphibia of southern Africa: a faunal study. Annals of the Natal Museum 17: 1-334. Ruas, C. 1996. Contribuicao para o conhecimento da fauna de batraquios de Angola. Garcia de Orta. Ser. Zool. (Lisboa): 19-41. Schmidt, K.P. and Inger, R.F. 1959. Amphibians. Exploration du Parc National de l'Upemba: 1-264. Vigny, C. 1979. The mating calls of 12 species and sub-species on the genus Xenopus (Amphibia: Anura). Journal of Zoology: 103-122.

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

Broadley, D.G. 1971. The reptiles and amphibians of Zambia. Puku: 1-143.

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.

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.

Measey, G.J. and Channing, A. 2003. Phylogeography of the genus Xenopus in southern Africa. Amphibia-Reptilia: 321-330.

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

Poynton, J.C. 1964. The amphibia of southern Africa: a faunal study. Annals of the Natal Museum 17: 1-334.

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

Schmidt, K.P. and Inger, R.F. 1959. Amphibians. Exploration du Parc National de l'Upemba: 1-264.

Vigny, C. 1979. The mating calls of 12 species and sub-species on the genus Xenopus (Amphibia: Anura). Journal of Zoology: 103-122.

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