Cuban Treefrogs

An Invasive Threat

A giant species of treefrog has colonized half the state and is moving north. The invasive Cuban treefrog has already become a nuisance to homeowners and utilities workers, and the amphibian may also threaten native treefrog populations.

What are Cuban Treefrogs?
Problems & Threats
Ongoing Research
What You Can Do

What are Cuban Treefrogs?

Cuban treefrogs can grow to more than six inches in length. Usually creamy white to light brown, they have large eyes and rough skin. Their skin is coated with a secretion that irritates mucus membranes, so you should not touch the animals with your bare hands.

Cuban treefrogs were introduced to South Florida in the early twentieth century, probably via shipping crates from the frog's native habitat, which includes Cuba, the Bahamas, and the Cayman Islands. Today, breeding populations exist across the Florida peninsula as far north as Cedar Key, Gainesville, and Jacksonville. Individual frogs have been found in the Florida Panhandle, Georgia, and South Carolina.

Problems & Threats

Home Invasion

Cuban treefrog populations are strongly established in South and Central Florida. The frogs have adapted well to residential areas and sometimes enter homes via pipes and open doors. They often turn up in toilets, one of their favorite indoor hang-outs.

Power Outages

Cuban treefrogs also cause problems for utility companies and their customers. Because the frogs like dark tight spaces, they crawl into the transformer boxes and power switches inside power poles to look for food and shelter. The frogs' bodies are large enough to connect surfaces inside the electrical equipment. When at least one surface contains an electrical charge, the connection creates a short-circuit, which can cause blackouts and damage equipment.

Frog-induced short-circuits have been a problem since the mid-1990s and now cause two or three blackouts per week during the spring and fall for one Central Florida utility company. A single incident can cost up to $10,000 in repairs. The company has tried various methods of protecting their equipment--such as installing insulated disks, tape, and tubing--but has not yet found a solution.

Native treefrog species do not cause blackouts, probably because they are too small to contact surfaces that are widely spaced apart.

Negative Impact of Native Species

The establishment of Cuban treefrogs in natural areas may have a devastating effect on native frogs. Early research suggests that Cuban treefrogs may reduce native treefrog populations by competing with them for food and shelter or by simply devouring them. In one wooded area, scientists set up PVC pipe "homes" to attract treefrogs for study. During one month, they found over 150 Cuban treefrogs and no native treefrogs.

Ongoing Research

Scientists need more information to help them better understand the effects of an increasing Cuban treefrog population. Researchers from UF, the University of Tampa, and Biological Research Associates--a Florida-based consulting firm--will remove Cuban treefrogs from wetlands in the Tampa area and investigate the impact on native species.

A commercial animal repellent is currently being tested to see if it will deter Cuban treefrogs from electrical utilities. Initial results suggest the product does repel the frogs, but further testing is necessary to obtain conclusive results.

What You Can Do

You can help manage this invasive species in and around your yard. Because Cuban treefrogs eat native frogs and other wildlife, it is important to manage the population and reduce their negative impacts on our native ecology and quality of life.

Reporting Cuban Treefrogs

If you find a Cuban treefrog in your house or yard, e-mail Dr. Steve A. Johnson of the University of Florida. Include the county where you saw the frog and a street address of the location for mapping purposes. When possible, please take a digital photograph of the frog and include the image as an attachment in your e-mail message. This will allow Dr. Johnson to positively identify the frog and provide a confirmed record for our archives.

Capture & Humane Euthanization

One of the easiest ways to protect native treefrogs is to capture and humanely euthanize Cuban treefrogs that you find in or around your home. Be very careful to avoid euthanizing native treefrogs by mistake. For help with identifying treefrogs, e-mail Dr. Steve A. Johnson or contact your county Extension agent.

Catching Cuban Treefrogs by Hand

You can capture Cuban treefrogs by simply grabbing them from their perch sites. Be sure to wear rubber gloves or use a plastic grocery bag as a glove. Approach the frog quickly and decisively, and grasp it firmly using a continuous, swift movement.

Collecting Frogs in Pipes

You can also attract the frogs to hiding places where they can be easily captured and removed. Place 3-foot long segments of 1½-inch diameter PVC pipe in the ground around your home and garden. After a few days or weeks--depending on the weather and frog population density--frogs will show up in the pipes.

To remove a frog from a pipe, pull the pipe out of the ground and place a clear plastic bag over one end. Insert a broom handle or other "plunger" device in the other end and scare the frog into the bag. If you do not wish to handle the frogs, contact your local nuisance animal trapper.

Humanely Euthanizing Cuban Treefrogs

After positively identifying a frog as a Cuban treefrog, humanely euthanize it using one of two methods.

Place it in a plastic container or bag and put it in the freezer for at least one day.
Apply benzocaine ointment--a numbing agent used to treat skin pain and itching--to the frog's back. Remember to use gloves when touching the frog. Name brand and generic products are available over-the-counter in tubes or sprays.

When you are sure the frog is dead, place it in a bag or other sealed container and throw it away. Do not throw live Cuban treefrogs in the trash!