Xenopus wittei
Taxonomy [top]
| Kingdom | Phylum | Class | Order | Family |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ANIMALIA | CHORDATA | AMPHIBIA | ANURA | PIPIDAE |
| Scientific Name: | Xenopus wittei | |||
| Species Authority: | Tinsley, Kobel and Fischberg, 1979 | |||
Common Name/s:
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Assessment Information [top]
| Red List Category & Criteria: | Least Concern ver 3.1 |
| Year Published: | 2004 |
| Assessor/s: | Richard Tinsley, John Measey, Kim Howell |
| Reviewer/s: | Global Amphibian Assessment Coordinating Team (Simon Stuart, Janice Chanson and Neil Cox) |
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Justification: Listed as Least Concern since, although its Extent of Occurrence is probably less than 20,000 km2, it occurs in an area of extensive, suitable habitat which appears not to be under threat, it has a presumed large population, and it is unlikely to be declining fast enough to qualify for listing in a more threatened category. |
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Geographic Range [top]
| Range Description: | This species occurs in the mountains bordering the Albertine Rift in southwestern Uganda, western Rwanda and eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. It ranges as far north as Kibale Forest in Uganda. It probably occurs in northwestern Burundi. It is known to occur from 1,200 up to 2,300m asl. |
| Countries: |
Native:
Congo, The Democratic Republic of the; Rwanda; Uganda
Presence uncertain:
Burundi
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| Range Map: | Click here to open the map viewer and explore range. |
Population [top]
| Population: | It is a very abundant species. |
| Population Trend: |
Stable
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Habitat and Ecology [top]
| Habitat and Ecology: | It is a water-dependent species of highland swamps and lake margins, often occurring in small and large ponds, ditches and streams. It is a very adaptable species, found in both forest and in high-altitude grassland and agricultural areas, where it does not require shade. It is replaced by Xenopus pygmaeus in lowland forest. |
| Systems: | Terrestrial; Freshwater |
Threats [top]
| Major Threat(s): | It is an adaptable species that is not significantly threatened, although harvesting for human consumption might have a local impact. |
Conservation Actions [top]
| Conservation Actions: | It occurs in the Virunga National Park (Democratic Republic of Congo), Volcanoes National Park (Rwanda), Bwindi-Impenetrable National Park (Uganda) and Kibale National Park (Uganda). |
Bibliography [top]
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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. Drewes, R.C. and Vindum, J.V. 1994. Amphibians of the impenetrable forest, Southwest Uganda. Journal of African Zoology: 55-70. 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. Tinsley, R.C., Kobel, H.R. and Fischberg, M. 1979. The biology and systematics of a new species of Xenopus (Anura: Pipidae) from the highlands of central Africa. Journal of Zoology: 69-102. Tymowska, J. and Fischberg, M. 1973. Chromosome complements of the genus Xenopus. Chromosoma: 335-342. Vonesh, J. 2001. Natural history and biogeography of the amphibians and reptiles of Kibale National Park, Uganda. Contemporary Herpetology. |
| Citation: | Richard Tinsley, John Measey, Kim Howell 2004. Xenopus wittei. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 25 May 2012. |
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