Cuban Treefrogs (Osteopilus septentrionalis) are established in Florida and Louisiana and have invasive potential further westward, possibly impacting native anurans at multiple life stages. In anurans, competition at the larval stage can decrease adult fitness through slower development and smaller size at metamorphosis, ultimately decreasing recruitment rates. To examine the potential impacts of O. septentrionalis at the larval life-history stage, I quantified activity levels and growth of their tadpoles and those of two anurans native to eastern Texas: Green Treefrogs (Hyla cinerea) and Gulf Coast Toads (Incilius nebulifer). Tadpoles of the three species were raised in con- or heterospecific treatments. In heterospecific treatments including O. septentrionalis, H. cinerea growth was lowest but I. nebulifer activity and growth were highest. Activity level and growth of O. septentrionalis were highest within the conspecific treatment whereas growth was lowest in heterospecific treatments with H. cinerea, a potential consequence of collective activity level within treatments. To avoid local population declines of native anurans, management of Cuban Treefrogs should focus on preventing establishment of new populations.
","abstract_html":"<p>Cuban Treefrogs (<em>Osteopilus septentrionalis</em>) are established in Florida and Louisiana and have invasive potential further westward, possibly impacting native anurans at multiple life stages. In anurans, competition at the larval stage can decrease adult fitness through slower development and smaller size at metamorphosis, ultimately decreasing recruitment rates. To examine the potential impacts of <em>O. septentrionalis</em> at the larval life-history stage, I quantified activity levels and growth of their tadpoles and those of two anurans native to eastern Texas: Green Treefrogs (<em>Hyla cinerea</em>) and Gulf Coast Toads (<em>Incilius nebulifer</em>). Tadpoles of the three species were raised in con- or heterospecific treatments. In heterospecific treatments including <em>O. septentrionalis</em>,<em> H. cinerea</em> growth was lowest but <em>I. nebulifer </em>activity and growth were highest. Activity level and growth of <em>O. septentrionalis</em> were highest within the conspecific treatment whereas growth was lowest in heterospecific treatments with <em>H. cinerea</em>, a potential consequence of collective activity level within treatments. To avoid local population declines of native anurans, management of Cuban Treefrogs should focus on preventing establishment of new populations.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Wasley, McKenzie"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Science - Biology","degree_level":"Thesis","degree_discipline":"Biology","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Matthew Kwiatkowski","Stephen J. Mullin","Christopher M. Schalk"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2020,"date_issued":"2020-12-12T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2020-12-12T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:30:30Z","subjects":["Activity Level","Anura","competition","frog larva","growth","Hyla","Incilius","invasive species","Osteopilus","population declines","Ecology and Evolutionary Biology"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/etds/385","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Matthew Kwiatkowski","Stephen J. Mullin","Christopher M. Schalk"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Wasley, McKenzie"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2020-12-16T08:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Biology"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science - Biology"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Activity Level","Anura","competition","frog larva","growth","Hyla","Incilius","invasive species","Osteopilus","population declines","Ecology and Evolutionary Biology"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/etds/385"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Cuban Treefrogs (Osteopilus septentrionalis) are established in Florida and Louisiana and have invasive potential further westward, possibly impacting native anurans at multiple life stages. In anurans, competition at the larval stage can decrease adult fitness through slower development and smaller size at metamorphosis, ultimately decreasing recruitment rates. To examine the potential impacts of O. septentrionalis at the larval life-history stage, I quantified activity levels and growth of their tadpoles and those of two anurans native to eastern Texas: Green Treefrogs (Hyla cinerea) and Gulf Coast Toads (Incilius nebulifer). Tadpoles of the three species were raised in con- or heterospecific treatments. In heterospecific treatments including O. septentrionalis, H. cinerea growth was lowest but I. nebulifer activity and growth were highest. Activity level and growth of O. septentrionalis were highest within the conspecific treatment whereas growth was lowest in heterospecific treatments with H. cinerea, a potential consequence of collective activity level within treatments. To avoid local population declines of native anurans, management of Cuban Treefrogs should focus on preventing establishment of new populations.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["An Invasive Species as a Threat to Native Biodiversity: Larval Competition Between Native Anurans and an Invasive Treefrog"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Matthew Kwiatkowski","Stephen J. Mullin","Christopher M. Schalk"],"dc:creator":["Wasley, McKenzie"],"dc:date.available":["2020-12-16T08:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["Cuban Treefrogs (Osteopilus septentrionalis) are established in Florida and Louisiana and have invasive potential further westward, possibly impacting native anurans at multiple life stages. In anurans, competition at the larval stage can decrease adult fitness through slower development and smaller size at metamorphosis, ultimately decreasing recruitment rates. To examine the potential impacts of O. septentrionalis at the larval life-history stage, I quantified activity levels and growth of their tadpoles and those of two anurans native to eastern Texas: Green Treefrogs (Hyla cinerea) and Gulf Coast Toads (Incilius nebulifer). Tadpoles of the three species were raised in con- or heterospecific treatments. In heterospecific treatments including O. septentrionalis, H. cinerea growth was lowest but I. nebulifer activity and growth were highest. Activity level and growth of O. septentrionalis were highest within the conspecific treatment whereas growth was lowest in heterospecific treatments with H. cinerea, a potential consequence of collective activity level within treatments. To avoid local population declines of native anurans, management of Cuban Treefrogs should focus on preventing establishment of new populations.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/etds/385"],"dc:subject":["Activity Level","Anura","competition","frog larva","growth","Hyla","Incilius","invasive species","Osteopilus","population declines","Ecology and Evolutionary Biology"],"dc:title":["An Invasive Species as a Threat to Native Biodiversity: Larval Competition Between Native Anurans and an Invasive Treefrog"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Biology"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science - Biology"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:30:30Z"}