Cuban tree frog

Cuban tree frog
On Grand Cayman
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Hylidae
Genus: Osteopilus
Species:
O. septentrionalis
Binomial name
Osteopilus septentrionalis
Synonyms
  • Hyla septentrionalis
    A.M.C. Duméril & Bibron, 1841
  • Osteopilus septentrionalis
    — Trueb [fr] & Tyler [fr], 1974[2]

The Cuban tree frog (Osteopilus septentrionalis) is a large species of tree frog that is native to Cuba, the Bahamas, and the Cayman Islands; but has become invasive in several other places around the Americas.[3] Its wide diet and ability to thrive in urban areas has made it a highly invasive species with established colonies in places such as Florida,[4] the Hawaiian island of Oahu, and the Caribbean Islands.[5] These tree frogs can vary in size from 2 to 5.5 inches (5 to 12.7 cm) in length. Due to their large size, Cuban tree frogs can eat a wide variety of things, particularly native tree frogs, and their removal has shown to result in an increase in the amount of native tree frogs in an area.[6] The tadpoles of Cuban tree frogs also heavily compete with native frog tadpoles, which can cause negative effects in body mass, size at metamorphosis, and growth rates for the native tadpoles.[7]

  1. ^ IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (2021). "Osteopilus septentrionalis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2021: e.T55811A3032751. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-1.RLTS.T55811A3032751.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. ^ Schwartz A, Thomas T. 1975. A Check-list of West Indian Amphibians and Reptiles. Carnegie Museum of Natural History Special Publication No. 1. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Carnegie Museum of Natural History. 216 pp. (Osteopilus septentrionalis, p. 45).
  3. ^ "Osteopilus septentrionalis". NAS - Nonindigenous Aquatic Species. Archived from the original on 2010-06-10.
  4. ^ "Cuban Treefrog".
  5. ^ Elliot, Lang; Gerhardt, H. Carl; Davidson, Carlos (2009). The frogs and toads of North America: a comprehensive guide to their identification, behavior, and calls. New York, New York: Houghton Mifflin. p. 28. ISBN 978-0-618-66399-6.
  6. ^ Rice, Waddle, Miller, Crocket, Mazzotti, Percival (2011). "Recovery of native treefrogs after removal of nonindigenous Cuban Treefrogs, Osteopilus septentrionalis". Herpetologica. 67 (2): 105–117. doi:10.1655/HERPETOLOGICA-D-10-00020.1. S2CID 84251137 – via USGS.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. ^ Smith, Kevin G. (15 February 2004). "Effects of nonindigenous tadpoles on native tadpoles in Florida: evidence of competition" (PDF). Biological Conservation. 123 (4): 433–441. doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2005.01.005 – via ELSEVIER.