Scientists have previously found that the African clawed frog eats its own small tadpoles, but recently they have discovered that the frog prefers to taste the offspring of the South African frog.
In ponds near Cape Town, South Africa, the African clawed frog was introduced as a pet and became an invasive species that took over the area. At the same time, an endangered South African frog also lives in it. The scientists put the cannibal amphibians in a tank containing two tadpole species and found that they preferred to eat the offspring of their cousin species.
John Measey of Stellenbosch University in South Africa tested the frog's dietary preferences by placing it in a series of tanks containing different tadpole species. After placing the African clawed frog in a tank containing the tadpoles of the same species and cape platanna tadpoles, the team found that the frog preferred to eat endangered cousin offspring.
Dr. Measey believes that the study, published in the Journal of Ecology, shows that the frog is able to distinguish species from small tadpoles. He added: "This is particularly bad news for cape [platanna]."
The African clawed frog is found on four continents and has spread around the world due to its popularity as a pet. Although they are ubiquitous in other parts of the world, the frog is not native to Cape Town.
Experts claim that the emergence of this frog poses a threat to the continuation of endemic species, such as the cape platanna frog.
James Vonesh, co-author of the study and Virginia Commonwealth University, said, "This is another interesting example of a change in the competitive environment due to a human-made change in landscape," New Scientist reported.
Some conservationists, including Dr. Mercyy, say it may be necessary to forcibly remove the African claw frog from these areas to protect vulnerable native wildlife.
Trivia: What is the African Clawed Frog?
The frog gets its name from the three short claws on its back feet that are used to tear apart food.
The species is found throughout much of sub-Saharan Africa and is found as an introduction in North America, South America and Europe.
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