Blanca the Cuban Tree Frog
Blanca is a giant Cuban Treefrog (Osteopilus septentrionalis).
Pictured here hitching a ride on my arm.
The Cuban treefrog is the largest tree frog in North America (1.5 to 5 inches in body length — 4 to 13 centimeters),
however it is not native to North America. This species was introduced to southern Florida from the Caribbean and
has spread north. Cuban treefrogs have been documented as far north as Cedar Key on the Gulf Coast of Florida,
Jacksonville on the Atlantic Coast, and the gainesville area in mid-Florida, and they are expanding their range.
Above: A Cuban Treefrog hides in the wheel assembly of one of the large dumpsters.
Trash cans seem to be a favorite hiding place.
This specimen urinated when I tried to get him out of the garbage can.
Like many species urination is one of the frog's defense mechanisms.
Read more about these frogs at:
Below: A hint of rain in early June 2013 over the dry lake.
Click on any of these images for a larger view.
The lake is visible about 1 mile distant from its normal shoreline.
These rains are the result of the developing Tropical Storm Andrea,
the first tropical storm of the 2013 Atlantic Hurricane Season.