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There is a relatively new resident of our fair city. Our new citizen is the greenhouse frog (Eleutherodactylus planirostris), a native of a number of Caribbean islands.
The species invaded Florida around the turn of the century, but no evidence of further expansion in the United States was discovered until several years ago when the frogs were found in Audubon Park. Then they spread and were found on Republic Street, de Montluzin near Gentilly Blvd, numerous places in Metairie, and at the Nature Center in the East. Now they are found city wide.
No one knows for sure, but naturalists speculate the vehicle for the expansion was the moist soil of ornamental plants being imported from Florida.
The greenhouse, unlike any other frog of the eastern United States, has no aquatic stage. Breeding takes place in spring and summer when 20 to 25 eggs are laid in a moist area such as a pile of leaves or under a flower pot. If the humidity holds, about two weeks later a new batch of frogs will be springing about feeding on the tiniest of insects. In one year these little fellows will grow to one or two inches long, their intermittent peeping calling attention to their presence.
Species introductions frequently have disastrous effects. Local herpetologists feel there should be few problems with the greenhouse frog invasion since there are no native species which have the same biological requirements and life stages.
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