|Scientific Name:||Pyxicephalus adspersus|
|Species Authority:||Tschudi, 1838|
|Red List Category & Criteria:||Least Concern ver 3.1|
|Assessor(s):||IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group|
|Contributor(s):||Channing, A., Harrison, J., Poynton, J., Howell, K. & Minter, L.|
Listed as Least Concern because, although it is losing breeding habitat in places due to urbanization, and it is also eaten in parts of its range, it has a wide distribution, is tolerant of a broad range of habitats and has a presumed large population.
|Range Description:||This species occurs widely in South Africa, Swaziland, Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe, extending north to southern Angola, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Kenya. It distribution needs re-examination in light of recent separation of Pyxicephalus edulus from P. adspersus. Many specimens have not been clearly assigned between these two species. It is presumed to occur in southern Democratic Republic of Congo, but there have not been any confirmed records from this country.|
Native:Angola (Angola); Botswana; Kenya; Malawi; Mozambique; Namibia; South Africa; Tanzania, United Republic of; Zambia; Zimbabwe
|Range Map:||Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.|
|Population:||It is common in many of the southern parts of its range, it has apparently declined in South Africa, especially in Gauteng Province, but it is still locally common in some places. Boycott (2001) declared the species to be extinct in Swaziland. It seems to be very uncommon in the northern parts of its range, with very few confirmed records from Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania and Kenya (though this might in part be due to identification problems).|
|Habitat and Ecology:||It is a species of drier savannahs. It is fossorial for most of the year, remaining buried in cocoons. They emerge at the start of the rains, and breed in shallow, temporary waters in pools, pans and ditches. They are active by day during the breeding season. They can tolerate habitat alteration, but not urbanization.|
|Use and Trade:||It is sometimes found in the international pet trade and is harvested for local consumption.|
|Major Threat(s):||The major threat through most of its range is harvesting of frogs for local consumption, which is believed to be responsible for some population declines. In South Africa, breeding habitat has been lost due to urbanization. This species is sometimes found in the international pet trade but at levels that do not currently constitute a major threat.|
|Conservation Actions:||It occurs in many protected areas.|
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Boycott, R.C. 2001. The terrapins and tortoises of Swaziland. Durban Museum Novitates: 25-37.
Broadley, D.G. 1971. The reptiles and amphibians of Zambia. Puku: 1-143.
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Channing, A. and Griffin, M. 1993. An annotated checklist of the frogs of Namibia. Madoqua: 101-116.
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Parry, C.R. and Cavill, R. 1978. A note on cocoon formation and structure in Pyxicephalus adspersus Tschudi (Anura: Ranidae). Trans. Rhod. Sci. Assoc.: 55-58.
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Poynton, J.C. and Haacke, W.D. 1993. On a collection of amphibians from Angola, including a new species of Bufo Laurenti. Annals of the Transvaal Museum: 9-16.
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Van Wyk, J.C.P., Kok, D.J. and du Preez, L.H. 1991. Growth and behaviour of Pyxicephalus adspersus tadpoles. Abstracts Herpetol. Assoc. Afr. Symp.: 17-18.
Wager, V.A. 1986. Frogs of South Africa, 2nd edition. Delta Books, Craighall.
|Citation:||IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group 2013. Pyxicephalus adspersus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2015.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 03 August 2015.|
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