floridensis
beneath the spanish moss with janson jones
Osteopilus septentrionalis, 28 April 2017
Osteopilus septentrionalis, the Cuban treefrog;
Seminole county, Florida (28 April 2007).
Undoubtedly the Beetlejuice of our treefrogs, this is the troublesome and invasive Cuban treefrog. Sure, it looks cute squatting like that, but this species has wreaked havoc on our local treefrog communities. Since arriving in South Florida, sometime between the 1920s and 1950s if not before, the Cuban treefrog has steadily marched northward and spread throughout much of the Florida peninsula. Unfortunately for our varied, local species of Hyla treefrogs, the Cuban treefrog likes to eat, well, smaller treefrogs (among other things). Needless to say, I don’t see quite as many native treefrogs as when I was a kid in the 70s and 80s, but I often hear the Cuban treefrog squawking and calling throughout the night, especially when it rains or anytime there’s a pool nearby.
floridensis 