Osteopilus septentrionalis
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Cuban Treefrog
Cuban Treefrogs are large, noisy, and common in South Florida. This fails to explain why I had never seen one in my numerous visits to the area over the years. Thanks to Dick Bartlett and Jake Scott for giving me some specific ideas about where to look. I ended up seeing a half-dozen or so, but this was the only one down low enough to pose for a decent photo.
This is an invasive species, which does not belong in South Florida. But it sure is a fine-looking frog.
I hit a bonanza of these treefrogs around Lucky Hammock at night. I don't know if their populations are (still) growing or whether I was just in the right place at the right time to see them.
Printed references:
- Bartlett, R. D., Bartlett, P. B. 1999. A Field Guide to Florida Reptiles and Amphibians
- Crother, B. I. (ed.) 2017. Scientific and Standard English Names of Amphibians and Reptiles of North America North of Mexico, with Comments Regarding Confidence in Our Understanding, Eighth Edition
- Elliott, L., Gerhardt, C. and Davidson, C. 2009. The Frogs and Toads of North America
- Meshaka, W. E. Jr., Butterfield, B. P., Hauge, J. B. 2004. The Exotic Amphibians and Reptiles of Florida