Greenhouse Frog

Greenhouse frogs have a pointed nose (Carmichael and Williams 1991). The vomerine teeth, behind the internal nares, are in transverse series. Toepads are truncated, and the toes are long and slender with strongly developed tubercles at the joints and terminal discs. There is no webbing between the toes (Wright and Wright 1949; Behler 1979; Dundee and Rossman 1989; Conant and Collins 1991). This frog is generally brown with a red tone. The snout tip is red and there is usually a black interorbital blotch (Dundee and Rossman 1989). The legs are banded with brown colors. The eyes are red and the belly or ventral surface is white. There are two color morphs, a striped morph with longitudinal light stripes, and a mottled morph with irregular dark and light markings (Behler 1979; Ashton and Ashton 1988; Dundee and Rossman 1989; Conant and Collins 1991).

Greenhouse frogs are native to Cuba, Isla de Pinos, the Cayman Islands including Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac, and the Bahama islands including Grand Bahama, Great Abaco, New Providence, Eleuthera, Andros, the Berry Islands, the Bimini Islands, the Exuma Cays, Green Cay, Cat, Long, and San Salvador (Schwartz 1974). Greenhouse frogs have been introduced in Florida, Louisiana near New Orleans (Dundee and Rossman 1989; Conant and Collins 1991), Georgia (Winn et al. 1999), Hawaii (Kraus et al. 1999), Guam (Christy et al. 2007), Jamaica (Pough et al. 1977), and Honduras (McCranie et al. 2008). There are also records from the Mexican mainland (Veracruz), although this species has not been seen there since the 1970s (Schwartz 1974; Hedges et al. 2004). The altitudinal range is from sea level to 727 m asl (Hedges et al. 2004).These frogs can be found in a variety of terrestrial habitats, including forests, caves, gardens, and urban areas. On Grand Cayman it inhabits arboreal bromeliads (Hedges et al. 2004).

This frog is a direct-developing species, meaning eggs hatch directly into subadult fully terrestrial frogs. The free-swimming larval stage common in many frogs is completely absent. E. planirostris is generally terrestrial but individuals on Grand Cayman Island have been found in arboreal bromeliads (Hedges et al. 2004).

This is an adaptable species that is common in many different types of habitat and is not currently under threat (Hedges et al. 2004). Although it has been thought that E. planirostris was introduced into Florida around 1875 (Dundee and Rossman 1989), subsequent phylogenetic analysis has revealed that a single dispersal probably occurred from western Cuba (Matanzas) to the Florida Keys between 70-400,000 years ago (Heinicke et al. 2011). Today E. planirostris can be found throughout most of Florida (Wilson and Porras 1983; Smith and Kohler 1987; Ashton and Ashton 1988; Conant and Collins 1991).

In a survey of gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) burrows in an upland sandhill habitat in Hernando County, Florida, greenhouse frogs were the most commonly encountered vertebrate symbionts (Witz et al. 1991).

The voice of the greenhouse frog consists of short, melodious, birdlike chirps, usually 4-6 in a series (Conant and Collins 1991).

The greenhouse frog (Eleutherodactylus planirostris) is a tiny frog native to Cuba (and possibly several other Caribbean islands) that is now established as an exotic species in the southeastern United States, Hawaii, and Guam (Christy et al. 2007). Its common name derives from the fact that it often stows away on nursery plants or otherwise turns up in greenhouses.

The greenhouse frog (Eleutherodactylus planirostris) belongs to a large group of frogs that undergo what is known as "direct development". These frogs lay eggs in terrestrial situations where they hatch into tiny froglets, skipping the tadpole stage (Hedges et al. 2008).

The greenhouse frog is native to Cuba (e.g., Conant and Collins 1991; Christy et al. 2007). Some authors consider them to be native in the Bahamas (at least the northern Bahamas), the Cayman Islands, and Caicos Islands as well, athough there does not appear to be consensus on this.

The greenhouse frog has established populations on other Caribbean islands, including Jamaica and Granada, in addition to well established populations on the Hawaiian islands of (at least) Kauai, Maui, Oahu, and Hawaii (the Big Island) (Kraus et al. 1999; Kraus and Campbell 2002). This species was found on Guam (which it most likely reached by hitchiking on ornamental plants from Hawaii) in 2003 and appears to be established there (Christy et al. 2007). The greenhouse frog is widespread in Florida, from which it was first recorded in 1875. It is generally assumed that these populations are not native (e.g., Conant and Collins 1991), although Hedges et al. (2008) indicate that this is an unsettled question. Populations have also been established in Georgia, Louisiana, and Alabama. Historically, the greenhouse frog has been recorded as an introduced species from Veracruz, Mexico. The fact that the eggs of the greenhouse frog are terrestrial facilitates their accidental transfer by humans.

Greenhouse frogs are terrestrial, seeking shelter by day or in dry weather beneath boards, leaves, trash, or other debris where there is some moisture. They normally move about only at night or in rainy weather. They are often found in gardens, greenhouses, dumps, hardwood hammocks, gopher tortoise burrows, and small stream valleys (Conant and Collins 1991).

The greenhouse frog has two forms, one striped with longitudinal light stripes and another mottled with irregular dark and light markings (Conant and Collins 1991). The general coloration is brown, but usually with distinct reddish tones. The eyes are reddish and the belly is white. Young greenhouse frogs (froglets) have a tiny tail at hatching (there is no tadpole larva stage).

The greenhouse frog breeds during the summer rainy season (May-September in northern Florida) (Conant and Collins 1991).

The impact of exotic (non-native) greenhouse frogs on the ecological communities they invade is not clear. There may be greater cause for concern, however, with respect to Hawaii and Guam, which have no native frogs, than for the southeastern U.S., which has a rich native frog fauna and where the greenhouse frog has been present for at least 135 years (Kraus and Campbell 2002; Christy et al. 2007).

The greenhouse frog is 1.6 to 3.2 cm in length (Conant and Collins 1991).

The greenhouse frog (Eleutherodactylus planirostris) is a species of frog in the family Eleutherodactylidae, native to Cuba, the Bahamas, and the Cayman Islands, and it has been introduced to other areas, such as Florida, Hawaii, Guam, Hong Kong and Shenzhen.