Cuban tree frog, still a threat

The invasive Cuban tree frog continues to spread across the island, threatening native species, disrupting food webs, and raising alarms among environmental experts who warn of its ecological and economic impact.

The Cuban tree frog (Osteopilus septentrionalis) which was officially documented in Jamaica in 2017 at Denbigh, Clarendon, native to Cuba and parts of Central America, was and is, still, threatening Jamaica’s delicate ecological balance.

According to the National Environmental Planning Agency (NEPA), the Cuban tree frog is believed to have arrived on the island through agricultural trade. Leighton Mambine, a NEPA representative, explained, “These frogs are invasive, meaning they don’t naturally belong in Jamaica and when you have the introduction of a new species in an ecosystem it throws the food web out of sync.” Since their initial discovery, the frogs have spread rapidly, now inhabiting eight of Jamaica’s 14 parishes. Biologist Damian Whyte confirmed the species’ wide distribution, noting its ability to thrive in diverse habitats, from urban areas to agricultural lands.

The Cuban tree frog’s adaptability and predatory nature have made it a significant threat to Jamaica’s native frog populations and the broader ecosystem. “They add competition for food of our native frogs. Our native frogs have a particular diet, and the Cuban tree frog shares a similar diet, so the food that the native frogs would eat is being lessened,” said Mambine. Their dominance extends beyond competition for food. “Not only are they competing with our native frogs for food but also for habitat as well. They prey on our native frogs, they eat them, lizards, insects, snails—basically anything that can fit in their mouth,” Mambine added.

Additionally, scientists have raised concerns about the frogs potentially introducing chytridiomycosis, a fungal disease, that has devastated amphibian populations globally.

In urban areas, the Cuban tree frog is proving to be a persistent pest. With its sticky toe pads, the frog can infiltrate moist spaces such as pipes, toilets, and plant pots. Mambine highlighted how the species often “hitchhikes” via human activity, contributing to its spread. “They find themselves on things that we would bring around. If you’re bringing produce, they would be in crevices in some of these things,” Mambine explained. “For instance, a hand of banana, they hide in a crevice, you don’t notice them, you pack them away and transport them, and that could have them moving in between parishes”, he added.

While the frogs are not directly harmful to humans, NEPA has urged the public to assist in controlling their population. Mambine advised, “As it relates to helping us [NEPA] manage the population, the best option is to kill the frogs as humanely as possible. As long as you can identify that it is the invasive frog, then you can kill it. This would be with either a blunt force hit to the back of the head or euthanize it.”

Additionally, in response to the invasion, NEPA has partnered with the Caribbean Coastal Area Management Foundation (CCAM) to combat the Cuban tree frog population. One initiative involves the use of PVC pipe traps placed in areas with high reports of the frogs, such as Clarendon and St Catherine. “These traps are PVC pipes that are stuck into the ground with a little water in them that are meant to attract the frogs. When you check the traps periodically you can take out whatever frogs are found in there and whatever you capture you can go ahead and kill”, Mambine said.

To prevent the frogs from spreading further, Mambine emphasized the importance of vigilance, “To curtail the spread, in terms of the spread to other places where it has not been found yet, is to check your person, check your properties if you are moving with it, just to ensure that there is none there trying to get a free ride”.