Hummingbird and Butterfly Gardening: Warning: Cuban Tree Frogs ...., 1 by beckygardener

beckygardener wrote:
Warning about the Cuban Tree Frogs .....

They are invasive non-native frogs that are eliminating the native critters in Florida. I don't like them, but they have taken over much of the area here in Sebastian. I haven't seen a toad frog or any other frog for that matter in a number of years. I am NOT trying to "raise" them in my water containers/ponds. I have been checking around for fish that will eat them. I was given the name of a few fish, but they are hard to come by at the pet stores and very expensive ($30 for one small fish)! Yikes! So now I am gonna try some cheap Oscar fish in the hopes that they can eradicate my population explosion of CTF tads. I have been feeding the tads spinach to keep them from further damaging my water lilies. They can devour a large leaf in 2 days! Scary!!!! Today I check the pet store to see if I can't locate some Oscars. Wish me luck!

If you go outside my house at night, especially last night after all the rain we had, it is sooooo LOUD out there. There must be thousands of these frogs everywhere! No joke! Perhaps that is why I have such a shortage of butterflies and caterpillars? Maybe?

I hope that isn't the reason. I live next to swamp land and when we have lots of rain and standing water, we get an amazing number of tads and young CTFs! Ackkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk!!! I have had them (perched) suctioned to my home windows (10-30 at a time) looking in at us! At my school, they park it during the day in every crevice around the exterior of the school. The sun dries them out, so they find every shady spot they can. It's amazing how many there are. I've not seen a toad frog in years. These CTF eat anything and everything they can. And they get quite large. I wonder if they can eat small mice and baby birds and baby rabbits? I wouldn't be surprised.

Be afraid ..... be VERY afraid!!!!

Here's a photo taken last Fall of one in my water pond/container.

I mention about the CTFs because they are very invasive and are being found in many southern states. I have heard that Texas is starting to see them now, too. They do eliminate native frogs and other small creatures .... possibly butterflies and caterpillars. You don't want these frogs in your area! Nadda!!!!

Here is a link to more information about them:
http://www.wec.ufl.edu/extension/wildlife_info/frogstoads/os...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuban_Tree_Frog