Sea to summit - with frogs all the way
The African clawed frog, Xenopus laevis, is remarkable for many reasons. One of these is the distribution of these frogs in southern Africa. Not only can you find these frogs from the highlands of Malawi all the way to the most southerly point in South Africa, but you can also find them right on top of the highest mountain in Lesotho at 3200 m asl.
The challenge for Laurie Araspin, co-tutelle student with the MeaseyLab and Anthony Herrel's FunEvol Lab at the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle in Paris, was to collect frogs at every 1000 m interval of altitude to determine how their physiology changes as altitude increases.
From the sewage works in the rain at near sea-level, all the way up to the highest points of Lesotho, Laurie succeeded in finding all of her frogs.
