Current:Home > ScamsHuge, cannibal invasive frog concerns Georgia wildlife officials: 'This could be a problem'-Angel Dreamer Wealth Society D1 Reviews & Insights
Huge, cannibal invasive frog concerns Georgia wildlife officials: 'This could be a problem'
View Date:2024-12-23 21:03:15
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! (428)
Related
- Prayers and cheeseburgers? Chiefs have unlikely fuel for inexplicable run
- Nicole Avant says she found inspiration in mother's final text message before her death: I don't believe in coincidences
- Rockets trade troubled guard Kevin Porter Jr. to Thunder, who plan to waive him
- Wisconsin Republicans reject eight Evers appointees, including majority of environmental board
- Police identify 7-year-old child killed in North Carolina weekend shooting
- Reviewers Say This $20 Waterproof Brow Gel Lasted Through Baby Labor
- Missouri ex-officer who killed Black man loses appeal of his conviction, judge orders him arrested
- Wisconsin Republicans reject eight Evers appointees, including majority of environmental board
- A herniated disc is painful, debilitating. How to get relief.
- Love Is Blind Villain Uche Answers All Your Burning Questions After Missing Reunion
Ranking
- Watch as massive amount of crabs scamper across Australian island: 'It's quite weird'
- Lionel Messi scores 2 in Argentina’s World Cup qualifying win over Peru; Brazil’s Neymar injured
- Ex-Oregon prison nurse convicted of sexually assaulting women in custody gets 30 years
- Kari Lake’s lawsuit over metro Phoenix’s electronic voting machines has been tossed out
- Eva Longoria Shares She and Her Family Have Moved Out of the United States
- Julianne Hough Is Joining Dancing With the Stars Tour and the Details Will Have You Spinning
- Rafah crossing: Why are people, aid stuck at Egypt-Gaza border?
- Guinness World Records names Pepper X the new hottest pepper
Recommendation
-
Here's Your First Look at The White Lotus Season 3 With Blackpink’s Lisa and More Stars
-
Well-known leader of a civilian ‘self-defense’ group has been slain in southern Mexico
-
Former AP videojournalist Yaniv Zohar killed in Hamas attack at home with his family
-
China says US moves to limit access to advanced computer chips hurt supply chains, cause huge losses
-
In an AP interview, the next Los Angeles DA says he’ll go after low-level nonviolent crimes
-
Is Choice buying Wyndham? Hotel operator offers nearly $8B for buyout
-
Hydrate Your Skin With $140 Worth of First Aid Beauty for Only $63
-
50 years later, a look back at the best primetime lineup in the history of television