Pipidae (see family information on Tree of Life site)
33 species in 4 genera
Tongueless Frogs There are 5 genera and over 30 species in this family. These frogs lack a tongue, have dorsoventrally flattened bodies, fully webbed hind feet, small dorsally placed eyes, and retain a lateral line system. Tadpoles resemble small catfish due to their paired anterior barbells (absent in Hymenochirus whose tadpoles are carnivorous). Males in this family lack vocal cords but are able to communicate underwater via “clicking” sounds generated through a modified laryngeal apparatus. The Surinam Toad, Pipa pipa, amplexes (mates) in a circular motion underwater, allowing for the eggs to be deposited on the female's back. The fertilized eggs are later enveloped by skin and complete their development within the female's dorsal skin, so that eventually froglets emerge fully formed. Members of this family can be found in almost every kind of water body in Africa and South America. Two members of the genus Xenopus have become model lab organisms (the tetraploid Xenopus laevis and more recently the smaller, diploid Xenopus tropicalis), due to their hardiness and ability to be easily maintained in a laboratory, as well as ease of inducing ovulation and mating year-round by gonadotropin injection. The early development of Xenopus laevis has been studied by developmental biologists for over a hundred years. Characters for the Pipidae are: 1) epipubis present; 2) unpaired epipubic muscle; 3) quadratojugal absent; 4) free ribs in larvae; 5) sacrococcygeal articulation fused; 6) short, stocky sacrum; 7) elongate septomaxillae; 8) lateral line system present in adults; 9) tongues absent; 10) non-pedicellate teeth in Xenopus and some Pipa (other Pipa are edentate – have very few or no teeth).
Pipa pipa
Photo by Hugo Classen
(Click for details)
Genus Hymenochirus (4 species)
Hymenochirus boettgeri English account no non-English account photos no sound/video Hymenochirus boulengeri no English account no non-English account no photos no sound/video Hymenochirus curtipes no English account no non-English account photos no sound/video Hymenochirus feae no English account no non-English account no photos no sound/video
Genus Pipa (7 species)
Pipa arrabali no English account no non-English account photos no sound/video Pipa aspera no English account no non-English account no photos no sound/video Pipa carvalhoi English account no non-English account photos no sound/video Pipa myersi no English account no non-English account no photos no sound/video Pipa parva English account no non-English account photos sound/video Pipa pipa English account no non-English account photos no sound/video Pipa snethlageae no English account no non-English account no photos no sound/video
Genus Pseudhymenochirus (1 species)
Pseudhymenochirus merlini no English account no non-English account photos no sound/video
Genus Xenopus (21 species)
Xenopus amieti no English account no non-English account photos no sound/video Xenopus andrei no English account no non-English account no photos no sound/video Xenopus borealis no English account no non-English account photos no sound/video Xenopus boumbaensis no English account no non-English account no photos no sound/video Xenopus clivii no English account no non-English account no photos no sound/video Xenopus epitropicalis no English account no non-English account no photos no sound/video Xenopus fraseri no English account no non-English account photos no sound/video Xenopus gilli English account no non-English account no photos no sound/video Xenopus itombwensis no English account no non-English account no photos sound/video Xenopus laevis English account no non-English account photos sound/video Xenopus largeni no English account no non-English account no photos no sound/video Xenopus lenduensis English account no non-English account photos sound/video Xenopus longipes English account no non-English account photos no sound/video Xenopus muelleri English account no non-English account photos no sound/video Xenopus petersii no English account no non-English account photos no sound/video Xenopus pygmaeus no English account no non-English account no photos no sound/video Xenopus ruwenzoriensis no English account no non-English account no photos no sound/video Xenopus tropicalis English account no non-English account photos no sound/video Xenopus vestitus no English account no non-English account no photos no sound/video Xenopus victorianus no English account no non-English account photos no sound/video Xenopus wittei no English account no non-English account no photos no sound/video
Citation: AmphibiaWeb: Information on amphibian biology and conservation. [web application]. 2012. Berkeley, California: AmphibiaWeb. Available: http://amphibiaweb.org/. (Accessed: 2012).
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