Cuban tree frog

[Bottomfeeder2]

My friend who lives in Brooklyn NY found this tree frog in a potted plant in his backyard. These guys are originally from the Caribbean, but have spread throughout the neotropics and are actually quite invasive. The largest females can be five inches in length, and they will feed on things like other frogs, small rodents, birds, lizards, and even snakes. They also seem to be quite toxic - I saw someone get hit in the face with a jumping Cuban tree frog in Florida, and they had a nasty reaction where the frog hit their eye.

I have no idea how it ended up in a backyard in Brooklyn. Someone must have bought a plant imported from the neotropics that included a hidden hitchhiker He has a really cool personality and learned to eat from tongs within the first week. Can be tough to keep contained, though... likes too make the mad dash out of the enclosure.

I uploaded way too many pictures because none of them are any good.

 

[Tifftastic]

Cool find! Love me some tree frogs!

 

[Vicious_Fish]

I agree, it most likely came in on some plants. I've talked to garden centers and they tell me stories of finding tree frogs, anoles and house geckos on imported foliage from the the southern section of the country.

 

[Bottomfeeder2]

I believe that's how knight anoles got to south Florida.

Earlier today I was talking with some friends about how sometimes wandering spiders and palm vipers get sent around the world in banana shipments

This frog is getting tamer by the day. He figured out feeding from the tongs in a matter of seconds...

 

[dukezblade]

Nice find, thats a cool tree frog

 

[calivivarium1]

Cool!