Kassina is a genus of hyperoliid frogs, commonly referred to as running frogs or kassinas. They are found throughout sub-Saharan Africa. They are characterized by preferring a distinctive "walking" with the back legs instead of the more traditional frog-hopping.

Species

The following species are recognized in the genus Kassina: • Kassina arboricola Perret, 1985 — Ivory Coast running frog • Kassina cassinoides (Boulenger, 1903) — silver running frog • Kassina cochranae (Loveridge, 1941) — Cochran's running frog • Kassina decorata (Angel, 1940) - Decorated running frog • Kassina fusca Schiøtz, 1967 — brown running frog • Kassina jozani Msuya, Howell, and Channing, 2007 • Kassina kuvangensis (Monard, 1937) — Kuvangu running frog • Kassina lamottei Schiøtz, 1967 — rainforest running frog • Kassina maculifer (Ahl, 1924) — Parker's running frog • Kassina maculosa (Sternfeld, 1917) — marbled running frog • Kassina mertensi Laurent, 1952 — Mertens' running frog • Kassina schioetzi Rödel, Grafe, Rudolf, and Ernst, 2002 — Schiøtz's running frog • Kassina senegalensis (Duméril and Bibron, 1841) — Senegal running frog • Kassina somalica Scortecci, 1932 — Somalian running frog • Kassina wazae Amiet, 2007

In captivity

K. maculata is frequently exported from Tanzania for the exotic pet trade. They require more horizontal space than vertical, being a terrestrial species. Their captive environment should include a substrate that accommodates burrowing, and provides high humidity. K. maculata will readily eat crickets and small mealworms, although insects should be dusted with a vitamin supplement. Other species of running frogs are occasionally imported, with the K. senegalensis being the next most common species in captivity.

Research

It is the source of "kassinin", a frequently studied tachykinin peptide.