Cuban Tree Frogs

On the heels of Halloween, we’ve learned of a "scary" creature that may be moving closer to our area: the Cuban Tree Frog. A giant species of tree frog, the Cuban Tree Frog has already colonized South Florida and is expanding its reach northward; breeding populations are now found across the Florida panhandle, and individual frogs have been found in Georgia and South Carolina. What’s so scary about a frog? Cuban Tree Frogs are large (up to six inches or more in length); their skin is coated with a secretion that irritates mucus membranes; and they’ve been known to enter homes via pipes and turn up in toilets. In Florida, they have also become an expensive nuisance for utility companies, causing short-circuits in transformer boxes when they attempt to make homes there. But the real fear is of the potentially devastating effect this non-native, invasive species can have on native frog populations. Cuban Tree Frogs not only compete with native frogs for food and shelter, they also eat smaller frogs, wiping out the local population. Researchers don’t know how far north these frogs might colonize, but they seem to be highly adaptable so it’s entirely possible they’ll find their way to Metro Atlanta. If you spot what you suspect might be a Cuban Tree Frog in Georgia, you should report it the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division.