Current:Home > InvestHuge, cannibal invasive frog concerns Georgia wildlife officials: 'This could be a problem' -Infinite Profit Zone
Huge, cannibal invasive frog concerns Georgia wildlife officials: 'This could be a problem'
View
Date:2025-04-15 13:49:14
An invasive frog that can grow as big as a human hand and will eat anything that fits in its mouth is concerning Georgia wildlife officials.
The state's Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Resources Division started documenting the Cuban tree frogs in the area in 2023 because they could cause ecological damage, biologist Daniel Sollenberger told the Augusta Chronicle, part of the USA TODAY Network.
He said the frogs probably are being transported there accidentally and breeding in retention ponds or standing water in ditches. They may be coming from Florida, where the population also is growing to invasive levels.
What are the cannibal tree frogs?
Native to Cuba, the Bahamas and the Cayman Islands, the Cuban tree frog can measure more than 6 inches long, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Their colors vary from gray to bronze to olive green, and they have noticeably large toe pads.
USGS maps show the frogs have spread outside Georgia, nudging out native species in Florida and popping up as far north as Vermont.
“They start out small, but they can quickly grow as big as your hand,” Sollenberger said. “It's a really big tree frog. They can get three times the size of our next largest native tree frog, which is the barking tree frog.”
Sollenberger said there is "some anecdotal evidence from Florida" that the frogs can reduce populations of native frogs.
"If we want to have some native wildlife left in our yards, this could be a problem," Sollenberger said.
What to do if you see a Cuban tree frog
Despite their range, Sollenberger said, the Cuban tree frogs don't do well with the cold. He believes the frogs are finding warm spots in infrastructure like electrical boxes to stay warm. Plus, global warming has allowed them to survive farther north, according to a study published in the Journal of Animal Ecology.
Sollenberger encourages people to remove standing water from their properties and kill the frogs when they are spotted.
Sollenberger recommends putting the pain relief medication Orajel on the frog's back. Orajel contains benzocaine, a local anesthetic, which will knock it out. A guide by the University of Florida also recommends putting the frog in the freezer for 24 hours to ensure it dies from the benzocaine.
Residents can contact the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Resources Division with possible sightings.
Contributing: Jim Waymer, Florida Today
veryGood! (2236)
Related
- The 401(k) millionaires club keeps growing. We'll tell you how to join.
- 5 dead, several hurt in Pennsylvania house explosion
- 'We in the Hall of Fame, dawg': Dwyane Wade wraps up sensational night for Class of 2023
- Funyuns and flu shots? Gas station company ventures into urgent care
- Trump invites nearly all federal workers to quit now, get paid through September
- Sofia Richie Reveals How Dad Lionel Richie Influences Her Beauty Routine
- Pregnant Kourtney Kardashian Showcases Baby Bump in Garden Walk Selfie
- This Zillow Gone Wild church-turned-mansion breathes new life into former gathering space
- House passes bill to add 66 new federal judgeships, but prospects murky after Biden veto threat
- Hilary Duff's Relatable Wellness Approach Is What Dreams Are Made Of
Ranking
- North Carolina justices rule for restaurants in COVID
- Iowa State’s Isaiah Lee, who is accused of betting against Cyclones in a 2021 game, leaves program
- Baltimore Orioles OF Cedric Mullins robs game-tying home run, hits game-winning home run
- Peyton Manning's next venture: College professor at University of Tennessee this fall
- Nevada attorney general revives 2020 fake electors case
- Heartbroken Dwayne Johnson Sends Love to Local Heroes Amid Maui Wildfires Recovery Efforts
- ‘Barbie’ has legs: Greta Gerwig’s film tops box office again and gives industry a midsummer surge
- Peyton Manning's next venture: College professor at University of Tennessee this fall
Recommendation
Trump suggestion that Egypt, Jordan absorb Palestinians from Gaza draws rejections, confusion
Morgan Freeman on rescuing a Black WWII tank battalion from obscurity
A former Georgia police chief is now teaching middle school
Russia launches lunar landing craft in first moon mission since Soviet era
Tree trimmer dead after getting caught in wood chipper at Florida town hall
Community with high medical debt questions its hospitals' charity spending
Woman goes missing after a car crash, dog finds her two days later in a Michigan cornfield
Coast Guard searches for 4 missing divers off the Carolinas