Cuban Treefrog Research at UF

 

How Does Cuban Treefrog Removal Affect Native Treefrogs?

 

Invasive species are a growing concern worldwide, and many play a role in the decline of amphibians. The Cuban Treefrog (Osteopilus septentrionalis) is an invasive species in Florida that grows large enough to eat native frogs, and its tadpoles may compete with native treefrog tadpoles. Grad student Kris Hoffmann recently completed a study looking at the effects of Cuban Treefrogs on native treefrog communities. She used grids of PVC pipes (frogs like to hide in them) at Flatwoods Park in Tampa to attract treefrogs. She removed Cuban Treefrogs from some sites, and compared the native treefrog populations at those sites to other sites where Cuban Treefrogs were not removed. Kris also conducted lab experiments at the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center near Wimauma to learn more about how the frogs use the PVC pipes. Do Cuban Treefrogs prevent native treefrogs from using the PVC pipes? Do frogs prefer PVC pipes to more natural hiding spots? Stay tuned...

 

◄ Back to Cuban Treefrog Research