The Cuban Treefrog, latin name Osteopilus septentrionalis, is originally found (native) to Cuba, the Isle of Youth, the Cayman Islands, and the Bahamas. Cuban Treefrogs are estimated to have been introduced into the Florida ecosystem in the 1920s. It is widely agreed by scientists in the Florida ecological community that the Cuban Treefrogs came into Florida through shipment and freight packages coming from the Caribbean. Quickly, this invasive species flooded through Southern Florida, and by 2013, they had spread their population to the very Northernmost end of Florida. Potentially, the Cuban Treefrog can spread to surrounding state habitats; South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Texas have suitable, coastal ecosystems that could support a Cuban Treefrog population. The way in which Cuban Treefrogs spread is quite random: occupying a boat, car, package, train, bus-- the list goes on (Johnson).
Cuban Treefrogs are large animals. They are the largest treefrog species in Florida and may exceed 6 inches in length. The average size of a Cuban
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It is typically 1.5 to 5 inches in length. This is an issue because it is not native to North America. The treefrogs were brought to North America by ships travelling from the Caribbean. Since there are no predators to the animal the population has been able to spread all the up to North Florida and the Jacksonville region. People have reported that when the Cuban Tree Frogs appear on their property the population of native frogs, toads, lizards, spiders, and insects have severely dropped. This is because they eat at a massive rate. All the animals they eat are the ones running around your yard. It is our job to recognize our mistakes as humans and help protect the native environment from these Cuban treefrogs and kill them. If we are to eliminate these frogs we will see a return to what the Florida environment used to