Class Amphibia (Amphibians) in the Christopher B. Smith Preserve

Class Amphibia Characteristics: Amphibians are ectothermic, meaning they do not produce their own heat, but instead rely on external heat sources. As a group, they live in habitats that include terrestrial surfaces, subterranean regions, tree tops, and wetlands. There are approximately 8,680 amphibian species today [1], with 90% being frogs. The other 10% are salamanders and caecilians. [1] World Animal Foundation "How many animals are in the world?";<https:worldanimalfoundation.org/advocate/how-many-animals-are-in-the-world?>

An amphibian typically hatches from an egg, spends the first part of its life as a larva in an aquatic environment and breathes with gills. Later, it metamorphoses into an 4-legged adult that lives on land and breathes with lungs. Amphibians use their skin as a secondary respiratory organ.

Interactions in the Smith Preserve: Tadpoles eat plants, algae, and other microscopic vegetation. Adult frogs eat insects, snails, spiders, worms and small fish. At all stages of their development, amphibians are prey of larger animals.

Order	Family	Species Name	Common Name
Anura	Eleutherodactylidae	Eleutherodactylus planirostris	Greenhouse Frog
Anura	Hylidae	Hyla cinerea	Green Treefrog
Anura	Hylidae	Osteopillus sepentrionalis	Cuban Treefrog

 

Eleutherodactylus planirostris Greenhouse Frog On March 8, 2018, this frog and another just like it were captured in the Smith Preserve by Melinda Schuman, a scientist at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida. Melinda found these frogs hiding under rocks. Seldom seen because they are nocturnal, greenhouse frogs commonly live in moist leaf litter. The species is native to Cuba and other islands in the West Indies. These tiny, non-native-to-Florida frogs range in size from 17 to 31 mm in length. There are two forms of this species. This one is mottled, the other form has two broad stripes running longitudinally down its back. Although it is difficult to tell from these photographs, the eyes of this species are red. Eggs are enclosed in a thick membrane and laid one at a time in concealed damp locations. In Florida, clutch size is 3 to 26 eggs. The tadpole stage takes place inside the egg, and when they emerge, the young frogs are about 5 mm long with a short tail that gets reabsorbed. Adult frogs are thought to guard the eggs. Greenhouse frog diet is small invertebrates. On November 16, 2021, the webmaster found the frog below, hiding in a decomposing oak branch in a hammock just south of the pond and east of the gopher tortoise fence.   Return to top

 

Hyla cinerea Green Treefrog   Hyla cinerea is native to Florida and much of the central to southeastern U.S. These three frogs were photographed in the filter marsh in the open canopy, waiting to capture food. The color of this frog species is usually a shade of green and a frog can change color shade in different lighting and temperature. A white, pale yellow, or cream-colored line runs from the upper lip to the groin. Hyla cinerea have smooth skin and large toe pads. The abdomen is pale yellow to white.   Return to top

Osteopilus sepentrionalis Cuban Treefrog   This treefrog is native to Cuba, the Cayman Islands, and the Bahamas. In the 1920s, individuals were accidentally brought to Florida, probably as hitchhikers in cargo containers on ships. They are considered invasive because they harm native ecosystems by eating native frogs and occasionally lizards and small snakes. Their tadpoles compete with native tadpoles for space and food. The one pictured here was living in a bromeliad.   Return to top

© Photographs and text by Susan Leach Snyder (Conservancy of Southwest Florida Volunteer), unless otherwise credited above.

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