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INVAXEN
INVAsive biology of XENopus laevis in Europe: ecology, impact and predictive models
Xenopus laevis is one of the world’s most widely distributed amphibians with invasive populations that have become established on four continents. Invasions are due to both accidental escape and voluntary release of laboratory animals in many cases. Although impacts of invasive X. laevis on native populations of amphibians and fish have been documented, systematic studies examining the impact of this species on both vertebrate and invertebrate communities are lacking. Moreover, X. laevis has been implicated in the global transmission of disease including chytridiomycosis, a disease cited as one of the principal causes for the global decline in amphibians.
Yet, landscape level data on the presence of X. Laevis across Europe are lacking. Alarmingly, a recent study suggested that the invasion potential of X. laevis has been severely underestimated and that many areas, both globally and in Europe, were potentially threatened by invasion. In particular, this species is of serious concern in Europe as it is known to be invasive in at least four countries (France, Portugal, Italy and the U.K.) and the suggested suitable climatic space for X. laevis covers over one million square kilometers, making this species of pan-European concern.