Cuban Tree Frog
Osteopilus septentrionalis
Amphibia
COMMON
Stats
- Lifespan
- 5-10 yrs
- Size
- Large
- Diet
- Carnivore
- Activity
- Nocturnal
- Social
- Solitary
- Biome
- Tropical rainforest
- Range
- Caribbean
- Movement
- Climbing
- Breeding
- Egg-laying
- Defense
- Toxins
- Status
- Common
About
The Cuban treefrog is the largest tree frog in North America, native to Cuba, the Bahamas, and the Cayman Islands but now widespread as an invasive species in Florida. Its skin secretes a sticky, irritating mucus that can cause a burning sensation on human skin and eyes, a defense that also helps it prey on smaller native frog species.
Life cycle
- 1.eggA jelly-coated egg is laid in water and develops over days into an aquatic larva.
- 2.tadpoleA gilled tadpole swims and grazes on algae, slowly absorbing its tail and growing limbs.
- 3.juvenileA near-adult amphibian leaves the water with new legs and lungs, smaller than the mature form.
- 4.adultFully grown at adult size, breathing air.
Learn more
Taxonomy
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Amphibia
- Order
- Anura
- Family
- Hylidae
- Genus
- Osteopilus
- Species
- Osteopilus septentrionalis