Origin of invasive Florida frogs traced to Cuba

Abstract

Two of the earliest examples of successful invasive amphibians are the greenhouse frog ( Eleutherodactylus planirostris ) and the Cuban treefrog ( Osteopilus septentrionalis ) in Florida. Although both are generally assumed to be recent introductions, they are widespread on Caribbean islands and also have been proposed as natural colonizers. We obtained nucleotide sequence data for both species and their closest relatives in their native and introduced ranges. Phylogenetic analyses trace the origin of E. planirostris to a small area in western Cuba, while O. septentrionalis is derived from at least two Cuban sources, one probably a remote peninsula in western Cuba. The tropical-to-temperate invasion began with colonization of the Florida Keys followed by human-mediated dispersal within peninsular Florida. The subtropical Keys may have served as an adaptive stepping stone for the successful invasion of the North American continent.

Evolutionary Branching in Complex Landscapes

“…Indeed, assisted migration programs might do well to consider introducing species into carefully chosen refugia within a larger hostile environment, rather than into a larger area of compatible habitat, to maximally accelerate adaptation toward anticipated future conditions. The plausibility of this approach is illustrated by the importance of heterogeneity, refugia, and adaptation in the spread of invasive species (Havel et al 2005;Lombaert et al 2010;Heinicke et al 2011;Tingley et al 2012;Westley et al 2013).…”

“…Second, a refugium might act as a spatial stepping stone, providing a clement habitat patch that could act as a proximate source for repeated colonization attempts into the surrounding inhospitable environment (Havel et al 2005;Thomas et al 2012;Travis et al 2012). Third, a refugium might act as an adaptive stepping stone, providing an environment intermediate between the clement home range and a destination too inhospitable to colonize directly; the refugium would thus allow partial adaptation to occur prior to further range expansion (Havel et al 2005;Lombaert et al 2010;Heinicke et al 2011;Westley et al 2013). …”

Distribución y abundancia de la rana de invernadero, Eleutherodactylus planirostris (Cope, 1862), en Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, México

“…Cabe mencionar que los últimos muestreos en este estudio se realizaron durante la entrada de un frente frío, con temperaturas por debajo de los 20 ºC, situación que no impidió su actividad, como también se ha observado en los Cayos de Florida, Estados Unidos (Rice et al, 2007;Heinicke et al, 2011).…”

“…Las actividades humanas han contribuido de manera significativa en este proceso a través del comercio internacional de plantas de ornato y materiales de jardinería Heinicke, Díaz y Hedges, 2011;Villa, 2015). La gran adaptabilidad que tiene esta especie y el potencial para colonizar otras áreas e incrementar sus poblaciones rápidamente, representa una amenaza para la fauna nativa.…”

Ecology, Impacts, and Management of Invasive Rodents in the United States

“…Internationally its spread is beginning to be appreciated in Mexico, the Philippines, and on many Caribbean Islands (Kraus et al 1999;Olson et al 2014;Rogelio Cedeno-Vazquez et al 2014). The rst report of this frog in the United States occurred in Florida in the late 1800s; it is possible they established naturally, perhaps via driftwood (Goin 1947;Meshaka et al 2004;Heinicke et al 2011). The greenhouse frog is thought to have established itself in Hawaii in 1994 .…”