Bionomics and Morphometrics of the Tanzanian Muller's Clawed Frog Xenopus muelleri Peters (Anura: Pipidae) Corroborates Holotype with Monophyletic Oversized Lungs

The pipoid frogs belonging to the super family Pipoidea of the order Anura are mostly represented in fossil forms with only limited data from the extant materials. Pipidae is a pipoid family of the clawed, tongueless and toothless aquatic frogs with pertinent morphological characters that include the lateral line system. They bridge an evolutionary gap between fish species and the semi-aquatic amphibians, the latest precursors of the terrestrial vertebrates. The bionomics and morphometrics of a less described Tanzanian type material of the Muller's clawed frog Xenopus muelleri (Peters, 1844) are here characterised, elucidating its taxonomic status and habitat sustenance. The species corroborates a holotype material with notable affinity to the African Clawed Frog, X. laevis. Its vulnerability to dry habitats alarms for deliberate intervention to rescuing it from massive mortality and deterioration in that period. However, X. muelleri demonstrates great tolerance to hypoxia mainly due to its high respiratory efficiency, indicating pronounced flexibility to inhabiting a wide range of aquatic environments hence cosmopolitan. This is largely attributed to its monophyletic oversized saclike lungs here reported for the first time. Effective husbandry of the species as a domestic pet or laboratory animal is highly encouraged alongside strategic conservation of freshwater habitats for supporting its sustainability.