Status: | Species: | Common Name: | Last Update: |
---|---|---|---|
Offline | Pipa pipa | Surinam toad | ----- |
Offline | Silurana tropicalis | Tropical clawed frog | ----- |
Offline | Xenopus laevis | African Clawed Frog | ----- |
Offline | Xenopus muelleri | Mueller's clawed frog | ----- |
The Family Pipidae is a group of fully aquatic frogs found mainly in tropical regions of Africa and South America. Members, such as the African clawed frog (Xenopus) and the Surinam toad (Pipa), are characterized by flattened bodies, webbed feet, and the absence of tongues, making them highly adapted to life in water. They produce click-like or trilling vocalizations without vocal cords, and reproduction often involves unique strategies, such as carrying eggs on the female’s back (e.g., Pipa). Pipids are entirely aquatic throughout their life cycle, feeding on small invertebrates, and are important both ecologically as predators in freshwater ecosystems and scientifically as model organisms in developmental biology.