Editing African clawed frog (section)

{{Short description|Species of amphibian}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Speciesbox
| name = African clawed frog
| image = Xenopus laevis 02.jpg
| status = LC 
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = <ref name="iucn">{{cite iucn |author=Tinsley, R. |author2=Minter, L. |author3=Measey, J. |author4=Howell, K. |author5=Veloso, A. |author6=Núñez, H. |author7=Romano, A. |year=2009 |title=''Xenopus laevis'' |volume=2009 |page=e.T58174A11730010 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2009.RLTS.T58174A11730010.en |access-date=28 April 2025}}</ref>
| genus = Xenopus
| species = laevis
| authority = [[François Marie Daudin|Daudin]] 1802
| synonyms = ''X. boiei'' {{small|Wagler 1827}}
}}

The '''African clawed frog''' ('''''Xenopus laevis'''''), also known as simply '''xenopus''', '''African clawed toad''', '''African claw-toed frog''' or the '''''platanna''''') is a species of African [[Aquatic animal|aquatic]] [[frog]] of the family [[Pipidae]]. Its name is derived from the short black [[claws]] on its feet. The word ''Xenopus'' means 'strange foot' and ''laevis'' means 'smooth'.

The species is found throughout much of [[Sub-Saharan Africa]] ([[Nigeria]] and [[Sudan]] to [[South Africa]]),<ref name=Chytrid>{{cite journal |vauthors=Weldon C, du Preez LH, Hyatt AD, Muller R, Spears R |title=Origin of the amphibian chytrid fungus |journal=Emerg Infect Dis |volume=10 |issue=12 |pages=2100–5 |date=December 2004 |pmid=15663845 |pmc=3323396 |doi=10.3201/eid1012.030804 }}</ref> and in isolated, [[Introduced species|introduced]] populations in North America, South America, Europe, and Asia.<ref name="iucn"/> All species of the family Pipidae are tongueless, [[tooth]]less and completely aquatic. They use their hands to shove food in their mouths and down their throats and a hyobranchial pump to draw or suck things in their mouth. Pipidae have powerful legs for swimming and lunging after food. They also use the claws on their feet to tear pieces of large food. They have no external eardrums, but instead subcutaneous cartilaginous disks that serve the same function.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |first=Jakob |last=Christensen-Dalgaard |title=Directional hearing in nonmammalian tetrapods |encyclopedia=Sound Source Localization |editor-first=Richard R. |editor-last=Fay |page=80 |publisher=Springer |year=2005 |isbn=978-0387-24185-2 |volume=25 |series=Springer Handbook of Auditory Research}}</ref> They use their sensitive fingers and sense of smell to find food. Pipidae are scavengers and will eat almost anything living, dying, or dead and any type of organic waste.

It is [[#As pests|considered an invasive species in several countries]], including across Europe.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Scheele BC, Pasmans F, Skerratt LF, Berger L, Martel A, Beukema W, Acevedo AA, Burrowes PA, Carvalho T, Catenazzi A, De la Riva I, Fisher MC, Flechas SV, Foster CN, Frías-Álvarez P, Garner TW, Gratwicke B, Guayasamin JM, Hirschfeld M, Kolby JE, Kosch TA, La Marca E, Lindenmayer DB, Lips KR, Longo AV, Maneyro R, McDonald CA, Mendelson J, Palacios-Rodriguez P, Parra-Olea G, Richards-Zawacki CL, Rödel MO, Rovito SM, Soto-Azat C, Toledo LF, Voyles J, Weldon C, Whitfield SM, Wilkinson M, Zamudio KR, Canessa S |title=Amphibian fungal panzootic causes catastrophic and ongoing loss of biodiversity |journal=Science |volume=363 |issue=6434 |pages=1459–63 |date=March 2019 |pmid=30923224 |doi=10.1126/science.aav0379 |quote=with populations becoming established , mostly likely, from people releasing pets into the wild|hdl=1885/160196 |hdl-access=free }}</ref>