# Pillow Moss Hitchhiker Id me . . .



## tha3rdman (Nov 2, 2006)

This came a few moths ago in a shipment od pillow moss, It' alot bigger now then when it started. In Sept '06 we seen "booger" and it was about 3/8 of an inch STV not at over an inch, the coloring on its head in the picture below has covered it's back. Figured maybe he/she would be old enough to ID.


----------



## Catfur (Oct 5, 2004)

Where did it come from? If I had to guess I would guess that it was some species of Pseudacris, maybe even a little grass frog.


----------



## stchupa (Apr 25, 2006)

Where did you get the shipment from?
I can't remember the name but it looks a lot/exactly like a cuban frog, which are commonly shipped with plants and have become very invasive because of it.


----------



## tha3rdman (Nov 2, 2006)

Sorry forgot the origin of the shipment, I received it from a Green house in Florida, T&C terrariums.

Edit:

This is an e-mail they sent me when I asked backin Sept:



> Hi Paul,
> 
> Definitely a tree frog but a bit too small at this stage to make a
> positive ID on which species.
> ...


----------



## stchupa (Apr 25, 2006)

In that case, (I was thinking FL) I can almost guarantee that's what it is. A cuban TF.


----------



## *GREASER* (Apr 11, 2004)

I was also thinking Cuban


----------



## tha3rdman (Nov 2, 2006)

Thank you, for the ID, now is there any issues with the Cuban and the central/south American's (Auratus and azeurus) in the same viv (90+ gallon custom)?


----------



## Detrick105 (Apr 16, 2006)

Yeah Cubans will eat anything that moves and they become rather large (3"-4" inches STV) also they are quite poisonous when it comes to their skin secretions, and they could transmit some sort of disease to your darts


----------



## rickmcdole (Oct 1, 2006)

*I don't think it's a Cuban tree frog....*

It's VERY skinny if so, but it looks like what you have there is a Coqui (Eleutherodactylus sp). They're native to the Caribbean, and have established a population in Hawaii. 

The interesting thing about coqui's is that they hatch from the egg as froglets. They don't ever go through a tadpole stage. They're also miraculous survivors and hitchhike really well on plants, etc.-hence the introduction to Hawaii, where they're a very controversial topic.

In Puerto Rico, their call is the sound of the island. Puerto Ricans hearing a recording of a coqui call will tear up!

They're also the cockroaches of the frog world, according to my son. They seem to be able to survive almost anything. I have three of them from a pair that lived for years in a huge vivarium in a pet shop - they didn't even know they were there (my wife lived in PR for years and went non-linear when she heard they had coqui's-we had to have a couple). They have established a breeding population in there and there are froglets constantly.

I'm no expert, but that looks like a (very underfed and sickly) coqui to me.


----------



## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

There is at least one other Eleutherodactylus species in florida the Greenhouse frog (Eleutherodactylus planirostris) but it doesn't look quite right to me to be a greenhouse frog or a coqui... I would expect a broader head structure for a coqui... (for a good comparision of the two see http://www2.ctahr.hawaii.edu/oc/freepub ... qui_id.pdf) 

It is possibly a metamorphic cuban tree frog (my main suspect) but I would also consider a southern cricket frog (Acris gryllus dorsalis) if it has two dark stripes on the thigh (can't tell in your picture) ... 

Ed


----------



## tha3rdman (Nov 2, 2006)

Odd about the sickly part, these were taken after it' week long binge leaving piles of poop around the house after a sucessfull escape attempt. I found it hanging out above our betta tank.

Anyone local want it?

-Paul


----------



## Groundhog (Dec 17, 2006)

My first impression was also a "baby" (recently metamorphosed) Cuban. GET IT OUT OF THERE! The lit says these are predatory, and I can tell you from experience that they seem to prefer small herps to insects. TWENTY years ago, I turn on the light at three (3) am to chill with my paludarium. Flying Gecko no where in sight. Cubam tree frog looks gravid... Did not give a #@%!^--took a wooden Italian ice scoop, pried open her mouth, and pulled the gecko out of her gut with my pinky. Close one--the gecko was desperate for air. Both critters survived--and the gecko did not even drop his tail!

For the record, the following are, in my experience, NOT combinable with very small critters (Do NOT make me have to mention Ceratophrys or Pyxicephalus :!: )

Osteopilus species (Cubans and their relatives);
Leopard frogs;
Bell's Frogs (Litoria aurea);
Spotted running frogs (Kassina maculata--great frog, jst a bit too voracious);
Mossy Frogs (Theloderma sp.--never kept 'em--but all the lit says so);
and--believe it or don't:
Bombina orientalis

WHEREAS the following are, in a big enclosure AND if kept well fed:

White's Tree frog:
White-lipped " (Litria infrafrenata);
Masked " (Smilisca baudinii);
Green Gilder (Poypedates dennisii);
Greenback Frogs (Rana erythrea);
Crevice creepers (Prhyno sumthin'--Latin has slipped my mind). 
Green toad (Bufo viridis).

Of course, one must use common sense. I would not keep a White's with mantellas. e.g., But with grey or green tree frogs it can work (especially if the greys and greens were there first, and the white's is introduced 
young). Just use your heads!

Myself, I am with Des Vosjoli; I like community setups. I tend to segregate along biotope rather than size lines.

Hope this helps any newbies.

P.S.

Phrynomantis? :?


----------



## tha3rdman (Nov 2, 2006)

well thanks to all who helped, but I think her read the forum and realized it was time for him to go, the other day i heard a "Wooomp" and looked up to see the ventilation fan shaking, a closer inspection revealed a leg sticking straight out of the front. He/she jumped straight into the back of the fan and got wedged between the blades and the housing. As morbid as it sounds it was funny.


----------

