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Pipidae

(Family)

Overview

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The Pipidae are a family of primitive, tongueless frogs. The thirty species in the family Pipidae are found in tropical South America (genus Pipa) and sub-Saharan Africa (four other genera).

These frogs are exclusively aquatic and have numerous morphological modifications befitting their habitat. For example, the feet are completely webbed, the body is flattened, and a lateral line system is present. In addition, pipids possess highly modified ears for producing and receiving sound underwater. They lack a tongue or vocal cords, instead having bony rods in the larynx that help produce sound. They range from 4 centimetres (1.6 in) to 19 centimetres (7.5 in) in body length.[1]

The fossil record for pipids is relatively good with twelve extinct species known. Six of these are placed in the extant genus Xenopus, the remainder in extinct genera. These fossils are known from Africa, South America, and Middle East back to the Lower Cretaceous.[1]

Genera

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Family Pipidae

Photos

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Taxonomy

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The Family Pipidae is a member of the Superfamily Pipoidea. Here is the complete "parentage" of Pipidae:

The Family Pipidae is further organized into finer groupings including:

Genera

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Cordicephalus

[more]

Hymenochirus

Background [more]

Pipa

The pipa (Chinese: ; pinyin: pípá) is a plucked Chinese string instrument. Sometimes called the Chinese lute, the instrument has a pear-shaped wooden body. It has been played for nearly two thousand years in China, and belongs to the plucked category of instruments (????/????). Several related instruments in East and Southeast Asia are derived from the pipa; these include the Japanese biwa, the Vietnamese dàn t? bà, and the Korean bipa. The Korean instrument is the only one of the three that is no longer used. Attempts to revive the instrument have failed, although examples survive in museums. [more]

Pseudhymenochirus

Common name:Melin's Dwarf Gray Frog [more]

Shelania

[more]

Silurana

Silurana is a genus of frog in the Pipidae family. [more]

Thoraciliacus

[more]

Xenopus

Xenopus (L., strange foot) is a genus of highly aquatic frogs native to Sub-Saharan Africa. There are 18 species in the Xenopus genus. They are known collectively as African Clawed Frogs or Platanna. The best-known species belonging to this genus is Xenopus laevis, which is commonly studied as a model organism. [more]

At least 35 species and subspecies belong to the Genus Xenopus.

More info about the Genus Xenopus may be found here.

References

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  1. ^ a b Zweifel, Richard G. (1998). Cogger, H.G. & Zweifel, R.G.. ed. Encyclopedia of Reptiles and Amphibians. San Diego: Academic Press. pp. 86–87. ISBN 0-12-178560-2. 

Sources

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Last Revised: February 03, 2009