High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Xenopus (Gk., xeno=strange, pous=foot) is a genus of highly aquatic frogs native to Sub-Saharan Africa. There are 19 species in the Xenopus genus. They are known collectively as African Clawed Frogs or Platanna. The best-known species belonging to this genus is Xenopus laevis, which is commonly studied as a model organism.