Abstract:
Xenopus frogs (Pipidae) are aquatic anurans widely distributed across Africa, where they
play important ecological, biomedical, and cultural roles. However, their populations are
increasingly threatened by a range of stressors, including habitat degradation, climate
change, and parasitic infections. This study investigated spatio-temporal infection and
diversity indices of gastrointestinal helminths in Xenopus borealis and Xenopus
victorianus from the Lake Victoria Basin, Kenya. A total of 480 individuals (240 per
species) were collected between June 2024 and January 2025 from selected streams and
ponds using baited traps and seine nets. Spatio-temporal variations in environmental
conditions were recorded using a YSI multiparameter meter. Standard parasitological
techniques were employed for the recovery, fixation, and identification of parasites. Four
helminth genera were recorded: the intestinal cestode Cephalochlamys sp., and two
nematodes, Contracaecum sp. (intestinal) and Camallanid spp. (stomach),
Polyopisthocotyleans (Polystoma sp.) (urinary bladder) and Digenea spp (intestinal).
Prevalence ranged from 23% to 90%, and mean intensity from 1.0 to 8.3, depending on
parasite taxon and host species. Nematodes were the most prevalent and diverse group
across all localities. Diversity metrics, including Shannon-Weiner, Margalef richness,
Berger-Parker dominance, and Simpson’s index, showed variation between hosts and
sampling sites. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed no significant spatial differences
in infection indices (p > 0.05) except in Polystomadid sp in X. victorianus (p < 0.05), but
temporal differences were significant (p < 0.05) for Contracaecum infections in X. borealis
and camallanid spp., and Polystoma sp. in X. victorianus. These findings provide the first
baseline data on helminth fauna from Xenopus species in Kenya and support the need for
advanced morphological and molecular analyses to clarify taxonomy and better understand
host parasite environment interactions
