Amphibians · Anura · Hylidae

Cuban Treefrog

Osteopilus septentrionalis

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

Osteopilus septentrionalis is a species of large amphibian belonging to the family Hylidae. It lives in Cuba, the Bahamas and the Cayman Islands. It has been introduced to Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Florida, Venezuela and Hawaii. It is considered an invasive species.

Size

5 cm – 14 cm

Lifespan

12 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Nocturnal

Active mainly at night.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

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Fun facts

It causes power cuts: it gets into transformers, switches and electrical boxes looking for damp shelter, and in Florida and Hawaii it causes outages often enough for the power companies to count them separately.
It devours other frogs: in Florida it feeds on at least five native amphibian species, as well as lizards and small snakes.
Its skin secretion is very irritating to the eyes and mucous membranes, and pets that try to eat it usually salivate and vomit at once.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (amphibian)
Habitat & environment: Wooded areas, gardens, buildings and water tanks of Cuba, the Bahamas and the Caymans
Sexual maturity: 8.4 months
Gestation / incubation: 1 days
Litter / clutch size: 1500

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osteopilus_septentrionalis