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19 March 2021 A Case of Mistaken Identity: Genetic and Anatomical Evidence Reveals the Cryptic Invasion of Xenopus tropicalis in Central Florida
Colin M. Goodman, Gregory F. M. Jongsma, Jeffrey E. Hill, Edward L. Stanley, Quenton M. Tuckett, David C. Blackburn, Christina M. Romagosa
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Abstract

Nonnative species are drivers of global change, affecting biodiversity and burdening society with economic costs. Effective management of an invasion relies on the ability to make accurate predictions about the target species' spread and impact. This requires knowledge of the target species' biology, making taxonomic validation critical. Even so, external morphology is still widely used to determine the species identity of novel invaders. Here, we show that a nonnative pipid frog population in Riverview, Florida, USA, initially identified as African Clawed Frog (Xenopus laevis), is a cryptic invasion of Tropical Clawed Frog (Xenopus tropicalis) and the only known nonnative population of this species. We used DNA sequence data and osteology from high-resolution microcomputed tomography to confirm this identification. Furthermore, we conducted field surveys to delineate the population's invaded range in Florida. We detected the presence of adult X. tropicalis at 22 sites and larvae at a subset of 12 sites, representing an occupied area of approximately 1,630 ha. Differing body size and physiology of these two species of Xenopus suggest considerable differences in their impact, spread, and potential geographic range.

Copyright 2021 Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles
Colin M. Goodman, Gregory F. M. Jongsma, Jeffrey E. Hill, Edward L. Stanley, Quenton M. Tuckett, David C. Blackburn, and Christina M. Romagosa "A Case of Mistaken Identity: Genetic and Anatomical Evidence Reveals the Cryptic Invasion of Xenopus tropicalis in Central Florida," Journal of Herpetology 55(1), 62-69, (19 March 2021). https://doi.org/10.1670/20-083
Accepted: 2 December 2020; Published: 19 March 2021
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