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Xenopus laevis

Basic information
Scientific name Xenopus laevis (No picture)
Common names African Clawed Toad, Common Clawed Frog, Common Platanna
Higher taxon Pipidae, Anura, Amphibia
Natural range C & S Africa
Habitat Lentic freshwater, such as lake or pond.
Invasion information
Range in Japan Established in Wakayama and Shizuoka Pref. Although there are several records in Chiba and Kanagawa Prefs., whether established or not is unknown. Range in Japan
Origin Unknown.
Date The first import to Japan was in 1954, for exhibition in Enoshima Aquarium. In Chiba Pref., found since 1998. In Shizuoka Pref., found since 2006.
Route Deliberate: as pet, and as biological research material
Impact Potentially: predation or competition to native freshwater animals.
Actually: In Shizuoka Pref., predation on juveniles of aquafarming carp occurred.
Native organism(s) affected: Native amphibians, fishes, freshwater invertebrates, and juveniles of aquafarming fishes.
Regulation in Japan No action for prevention, mitigation, control, or eradication.
Introduced range in other countries Established in UK, California, Chile, Mexico, Java, Ascension Island (S Atlantic Ocean)
Reference Notes
  • AmphibiaWeb: Information on amphibian biology and conservation. [web application]. 2010. Berkeley, California: AmphibiaWeb. http://amphibiaweb.org/. (Accessed: Sep 22, 2010).
  • DECO (ed) (2006) Dictionary of Alien Species. Tokyo-Shoseki. (in Jpn)
  • Frost (2009) Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 5.3. http://research.amnh.org/herpetology/amphibia/ . AMNH, New York, USA.
  • JWRC (ed) (2008) A Photographic Guide to the Invasive Alien Species in Japan. Heibonsha. (in Jpn)
  • Kobayashi & Hasegawa (2005) Can the African clawed frog Xenopus laevis become established in Japan? —An inference from recent distribution records in the Kanto plain—. Bull Herpetolo Soc Jpn. 2005(2), 169-171 (in Jpn with English abst)
  • Kokuryo (2009) A survey of feral populations of the African clawed toad in Shizuoka Prefecture. Bull Herpetolo Soc Jpn. 2009(2), 103-106 (in Jpn)
  • etc.
Designated as Alert Alien Species (The Invasive Alien Species Act of Japan).