非洲爪蟾Xenopus laevis

68.非洲爪蟾Xenopus laevis

别名:光滑爪蟾、爪蟾、金蛙

形态特征:体长可达120mm,头部扁平,头宽大于头长,吻棱不明显。无鼓膜。眼小,向上凸起。其前肢短小,后肢上发达,后肢有3趾具短爪,具挖掘作用。体扁平、光滑,多为深灰色,但也有较多的白化个体呈金黄色。

生活习性:完全水栖,喜好静止水域的环境。白天多潜藏于水底深处,夜晚则会爬至浅滩。舌不发达,只能利用其前肢搅食水中的鱼类、虾、蟹、水生昆虫等小型猎物,常用前肢将食物拨进口中。

地理分布:原产于非洲,后被引入世界多地。

环渤海地区分布:均有发现,但未形成自然繁殖种群。

注:非洲爪蟾是一种重要的模式生物,常被作为生物学实验材料或宠物而大量引进繁殖,逃逸个体易造成入侵,也间接地成为壶菌的携带者。

Anura Pipidae Xenopus

68.Xenopus laevis

Description Adults' size normally reaches 120mm in SVL; obvious canthus rostrals absnet; flattened head; HW is longer than HL; tympanum absent; small eyes on the top of the head; short forelimb; posterior limb is sturdy; three of the toes on each posterior limb make them be good at digging; body flattened; skin is very slippery; some individuals' body color is dark grey, white and golden.

Behaviour Xenopus laevis are entirely aquatic, prefer still waters.They usually hide in the deep water during the day and creep to the shoal at night.Since their tongues are unusable, they only use their small forelimbs to aid in the feeding process.Xenopus laevis normally feed on the small prey, such as the fish, shrimps, crabs and aquatic insects.

Distribution Native to Africa and then are introduced to the world.Distribution around Bohai Sea: found but not form the natural breeding population.

Notes While Xenopus laevis, as an important model organism, are the most commonly used species for biomedical research and pets, they are introduced to China with a large amount.The escaped Xenopus laevis may cause the invasion, become the potential fungal and virus carriers.