Pyxicephalidae

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title: "Pyxicephalidae" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["pyxicephalidae", "amphibian-families", "taxa-named-by-charles-lucien-bonaparte", "fauna-of-the-afrotropical-realm"] description: "Family of amphibians" topic_path: "general/pyxicephalidae" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyxicephalidae" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Family of amphibians ::

| oldest_fossil = Eocene | image = Pyxicephalus adspersus, Boston Aquarium.jpg | image_caption = Pyxicephalus adspersus | taxon = Pyxicephalidae | authority = Bonaparte, 1850 | subdivision_ranks = Subfamilies | subdivision = *Cacosterninae (10 genera)

• Pyxicephalinae (2 genera)

The Pyxicephalidae are a family of frogs currently found in sub-Saharan Africa. However, in the Eocene, the taxon Thaumastosaurus lived in Europe.

Classification

The Pyxicephalidae contain two subfamilies, with a total of 12 genera. This family was formerly considered part of the family Ranidae.

Family Pyxicephalidae

• Subfamily Cacosterninae
  • Genus Amietia (16 species)
  • Genus Anhydrophryne (3 species)
  • Genus Arthroleptella (10 species) – moss frogs
  • Genus Cacosternum (16 species)
  • Genus Microbatrachella (monotypic) – micro frog
  • Genus Natalobatrachus (monotypic)
  • Genus Nothophryne (5 species) – mongrel frogs
  • Genus Poyntonia (monotypic)
  • Genus Strongylopus (10 species)
  • Genus Tomopterna (16 species)
• Subfamily Pyxicephalinae
  • Genus Aubria (2 species) – Masako fishing frog, brown ball frog
  • Genus Pyxicephalus (4 species) – African bull frogs, pixie frog
  • Genus †Thaumastosaurus (3-5 species) – western Europe, Eocene (extinct)

References

References

1. Frost, Darrel R.. (2014). "Pyxicephalidae Bonaparte, 1850". American Museum of Natural History.
2. (2014). "Pyxicephalidae". Berkeley, California: AmphibiaWeb.
3. (4 May 2021). "From toad to frog, a CT-based reconsideration of Bufo servatus, an Eocene anuran mummy from Quercy (France)". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.
4. Frost, Darrel R.. (2014). "Cacosterninae Noble, 1931". American Museum of Natural History.
5. Frost, Darrel R.. (2014). "Pyxicephalinae Bonaparte, 1850". American Museum of Natural History.

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