Crystal Heckaman Environmental Studies March 2, 2005 Invasive Species Paper

Cuban Tree Intentionally or unintentionally, humans are a major disperser of plants and to places outside their natural habitats. Many species do not survive the transport to or transition into their new homes because of climatic changes or insufficient resources. Some species, however, adapt well to their new homes and are able to successfully establish themselves and spread throughout the new ecosystem. These invasive species are able to thrive because they are free from predator, allowing them to be more careless, free from competitors, as they fulfill a new niche, and free from parasites that controlled their populations on native lands. Plant and invasive species often cause the extinction of native species because they are competing for the same resources and only the native species also suffers from predation effects (Smith and Smith). The life history of the Cuban tree frog is an explanation of how a species can easily adapt to an environment very similar to its original habitat and multiply at alarming rates in their new homes which contain no native predators. They have established themselves along the coasts of and north into Georgia. Its habitat consists of human-altered habitats, such as gardens, citrus groves, as well as naturally occurring wooded areas. They spend most of their time in trees, however they can be found on the ground. Cuban tree are nocturnal and can be found at night on walls and windows feeding on insects that are attracted to light. These frogs can be found in moist areas during the day and during dry weather (FFWCC). Cuban tee frogs require a small pond or stream for breeding purposes as they deposit their eggs that will metamorphose in six to eight weeks from tadpoles to frogs (Lilly Pad). Cuban tree frogs were transported to the state of Florida, in the late 1920s or early 1930s, through human error and have become established. This likely occurred through shipments of building materials and tropical plants to the southern keys of Florida where habitats were most like that of allowing for their survival because of similar climate and habitat conditions. Distribution of these frogs occurred through natural migration as they became over populated in areas. They also were involuntarily dispersed throughout the state and to other parts of the country in ornamental grasses and plants used for landscaping. The Cuban tree frog has created quite the ecological concern amongst native Floridians and their native animal species. During their five year life span, they prey on native tree frogs, crickets and other insects, lizards, snakes, mice, hatchling birds, and others of their own species. They have destructive effects on all ecosystems in which they invade and quickly take over because of the lack of predators. Cuban tree frogs are creating significant declines in the numbers of native tree frogs and are causing quite a concern with environmentalists in the state. Their call, which occurs at odd hours of the night, is also a nuisance to Florida residents as it sounds like the bark of a small dog (All About Frogs).

Works Cited

“Cuban Treefrog.” Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Committee (FFWCC). 4 June 2004. Florida’s Exotic Wildlife. 24 Feb. 2005 http://wld.fwc.state.fl.us/critters/exotics/SpeciesNumberResults.asp?SPPNO=42.

“Cuban Tree Frog ( septentrionalis).” 23 July 2004. The Lily Pad. 24 Feb. 2005 http://thelilypad.org/?q=node/view/11&PHPSESSID=f259626710816a7376f11ac4ba79d4eb.

“Cuban Tree Frog.” All About Frogs. 23 Feb. 2005. Frogland. 24 Feb. 2005 http://allaboutfrogs.org/info/species/cuban.html.

Smith, Robert Leo and Thomas M. Smith. Elements of Ecology. 5th ed. San Francisco, CA: Pearson Education, Inc. as Benjamin Cummings, 2003. p 357.