Predator spotted in France must be “urgently eradicated”
It comes from Africa and poses a significant threat to biodiversity. In Toulouse, in the southwest of France, three outbreaks have been recorded.
The predator, called Xenopus Lisse, is an amphibian that carries several diseases that are lethal to other creatures of its species. It has just taken up residence in Toulouse and is causing great concern to the Haute-Garonne prefecture, which has just signed, at the request of the Conservatoire d’espaces naturels d’Occitanie, an order for the “emergency eradication” of the Xenopus Lisse.
Measuring no more than 5 centimeters, this amphibian comes from the Pipidae family. It's recognizable by its smooth, flattened body, which is gray-brown with black spots. The Xenopus Lisse lives mainly in water and only comes to the surface to feed and breathe. It reproduces in ponds and pools as well as in rivers and canals.
The Haute-Garonne prefecture emphasizes that “the presence of populations of African clawed frog has been identified in three basins located in the commune of Toulouse, on the edge of the A620 near exits 19 and 20. The presence of this species is a major risk for our aquatic ecosystems”.
It added: the African clawed frog is an “opportunistic species with a strong reproductive potential. It constitutes a major risk for the functioning of aquatic ecosystems and is a healthy carrier of ranavirosis and chytridiomycosis, diseases that can cause high mortality in native amphibian species. The colonization of water bodies by this exotic species results in an erosion of biodiversity”.
(MH with AsD - Source: 20 Minutes - Illustration: Unsplash)