🐟 AquaticCare difficulty: AdvancedLegal complexity: High — restricted in many states
Lake Oku clawed frog
Xenopus longipes
The Lake Oku clawed frog is a tiny aquatic frog found only in one high-altitude crater lake in Cameroon, making it one of the most range-restricted amphibians in the world. Its single-lake distribution leaves it acutely vulnerable to any disturbance.
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Quick facts
| Size | Small aquatic frog ~3-3.5 cm. |
| Lifespan | 8–15 years |
| Native region | Lake Oku, Cameroon (a single crater lake) |
| Climate | ⛰️ Montane |
| Genus | Xenopus |
Habitat & enclosure
Endemic to Lake Oku, a montane crater lake, and found nowhere else on Earth. Introduction of fish or disease to the lake could extinguish the entire species. It is strictly protected; ex-situ assurance colonies have been established at conservation institutions. This profile is educational.
Diet
A fully aquatic carnivore feeding on small invertebrates in the lake. Captive colonies are maintained on appropriate small-invertebrate diets under biosecurity.
Behavior & temperament
Unusually, it is dodecaploid, carrying twelve sets of chromosomes. Its existence in a single lake makes it a textbook example of why micro-endemic species require dedicated, lake-specific protection.
Reviewed and signed off by: KinStation Editorial — conservation profile (pending DVM/biologist review)