A Christmas Cuban Tree Frog

This winter, my family took a trip to Disney World in Orlando, Florida. We drove down and stayed at several Disney resorts with my sister's timeshare. For the several days around Christmas, we stayed at the Saratoga Springs resort in a Treehouse Villa. This cabin-like room was surrounded by pine forest and bordered a golf course with several water features. Nearby was also the river that surrounds several Disney properties. On December 28th, I walked outside onto the Villa's porch to find a large tree frog hanging out on the patio chair. It stuck out on the dark surface and looked iridescent in the light. The frog was very photogenic and calm; I got several Instagram-worthy pictures of it. I tried to identify the species, but without proper training I failed. I knew only by the toe pads that it was a tree frog. Now that I have gone through rigorous herpetological species identification training, I can confidently identify my little frog friend as a Cuban Tree Frog (Osteopilus septentrionalis). These frogs are invasive in Florida and a small part of Georgia. Naturally, they occur in Cuba, Bahamas, and the Cayman Islands. They have also been introduced in the West Indies, Hawaii, and Costa Rica. Despite being considered invasive and non-native, it is possible the Cuban Tree Frog reached Florida by natural dispersal. These frogs can grow to between 1.5 and 5 inches. Females typically grow larger than males, though I did not measure this individual, they were fairly large and most likely were female. They are the largest tree frog in Florida and can have a variety of colorations including grey, tan, or brown with no markings, spots, or lichen-like patterns. They are distinguished from other species in the areas they exist by their large toe pads which are generally the size of their eardrums,  their fused skin on the skull, and visible greenish-blue bones in their hind limbs. They inhabit moist forests and buildings. These frogs are considered an invasive pest due to the adult's appetite and competition with native frogs as well as competition as tadpoles. They have irritant skin secretions when they come in contact with the eyes or mouth. I was unaware when I found this frog, but due to its highly invasive nature, if you find one you are supposed to catch it in a plastic bag and humanely euthanize it by poisoning it, sealing it in a plastic bag, and freezing it overnight. It is illegal to re-release Cuban Tree Frogs into the environment. Now that I know, the next time I see one I can do my part to reduce the population of this invasive, non-native species.  

Citations:

Johnson, S. A. (2011, October 16). Invasive Cuban Tree Frogs in Florida. Retrieved April 28, 2017, from 

http://ufwildlife.ifas.ufl.edu/cuban_treefrog_inFL.shtml

Powell, R., Conant, R., Collins, J. T., Conant, I. H., Johnson, T. R., Hooper, E. D., . . . Collins, J. T. (2016). Peterson field guide to reptiles and amphibians of eastern and central North America (4th ed.). Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.