Cuban Tree Frog
Osteopilus septentrionalis

Description:  Cuban Tree Frogs have large, prominent eyes and round, sticky toes.  They can be found in a variety of colors, including brown, green, yellow, and gray, and are able to change colors to match their environments.  These frogs are often patterned with spots or stripes.  Their skin has a bumpy texture, somewhat like that of a toad. 

Size:  The Cuban Tree Frog is the largest tree frog in North America.  Males measure up to 3.5 inches long.  Females are larger, measuring up to 5 inches in length.

Individual animal information:  Cosley Zoo houses one Cuban Tree Frog, which is used for education programs and is not on public display.  This frog was donated to the zoo in 2007. 

Adaptations: 

• The Cuban Tree Frog’s ability to change color allows it to blend into its surroundings and hide from predators. 
• This frog’s feet have sticky toe pads which enable it to climb easily. 
• The skin of the Cuban Tree Frog secretes a toxic substance that is irritating to its predators’ eyes and mouths, causing a burning sensation.

Diet:  Cuban Tree Frogs are carnivores which primarily eat insects.  However, they will also eat almost any animal which is smaller than they are.  This includes other frogs, small birds, lizards, and snakes.  The Cuban Tree Frog at Cosley Zoo is fed crickets and a vitamin supplement.

Reproduction:  In their home range, Cuban Tree Frogs breed during the wet season, from May to October.  Females lay a mass of eggs in the water, and the male then fertilizes the eggs.  The average egg mass contains about 130 eggs; however, very large females can lay many more eggs at one time.  Tadpoles hatch 1-2 days after the eggs are laid.

Shelter and space needs:  As their name implies, tree frogs are often found in trees.  They prefer areas with easy access to a water source for them to lay their eggs in.  Cuban Tree Frogs are native to Cuba, but are now found in several southeastern states, particularly Florida.  These frogs are thought to have been introduced to Florida by “hitchhiking” in plants that were being shipped into this country or floating on vegetation.

Life expectancy:  5-10 years.
Importance to man:  In their native habitat, frogs and other amphibians play an important role in the environment.  They are known as “environmental indicators” because they are extremely sensitive to changes in the environment and can be a sign that an area is becoming polluted.  However, Cuban Tree Frogs that have been introduced to the United States are considered to be an invasive pest species, which feed on and compete for food with native frogs.  Cuban Tree Frogs are also kept as pets in this country.
Fun Facts:

• Cuban Tree Frogs have a reputation for feeding on other frogs.  People who keep these frogs as pets are warned not to keep them in the same tank with other species of frogs.
• One interesting behavior of frogs is a behavior called sloughing, or shedding the skin.  When a frog is ready to shed, it will open its mouth very wide and stretch its body out, loosening the skin.  The frog will then use its legs to pull the skin over its head, shove the skin into its mouth, and eat it!
• Did you know that a frog’s eyes help it to swallow?  When frogs swallow, they close their eyes, which then sink down into their heads and help to push the food down their throats.
• Frogs can breathe through their skin!  They have lungs, like we do, but they also absorb oxygen through their moist skin.  This is especially useful when the frog is underwater.
• A group of frogs is called an army.