rogerlaw's Favorites

溫室蟾（入侵物種） Greenhouse Frog (Invasive Species)

根據世界自然保護聯盟瀕危物种红色名錄，原產於巴哈馬、開曼群島及古巴的溫室蟾，已成為關島、牙買加及美國的入侵物種。

在香港，情況也一樣。根據長春社的資料，2011年已有溫室蟾在香港出現的紀錄。牠們被懷疑是跟隨園藝植物的泥土散播到世界各地。是夜我們一次過遇上兩種形態的溫室蟾，一種背部斑駁（較常見），另一種背部具2條紋由眼蓋連至腹股溝。

溫室蟾的卵為直接發育，其發育過程不具水生蝌蚪的階段，直接由胚胎發育成幼蛙，因此生存率比其他蛙及蟾更高。牠們棲息於林底的枯葉層。常藏身於温室或苗圃的花盆底。只有16-32mm的溫室蟾以螞蟻及細小無脊椎動物為食，看似對香港自然生態的影響不大，但卻對體型及食性相若的蛙，如飾紋姬蛙（Microhyla fissipes）、粗皮姬蛙（Microhyla butleri）及盧氏小樹蛙（Liuixalus romeri），可能構成威脅，互相競爭食物及棲息地。在夏威夷，溫室蟾入侵後快速擴張，目前的分佈密度高達12,500隻/hm2，每一夜可消耗無脊椎動物129,000隻/hm2。

According to the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species, Greenhouse Frog originating in the Bahamas, the Cayman Islands and Cuba, they have become invasive species in Guam, Jamaica and the United States.

In Hong Kong, the situation is the same. In accordance with the information of The Conservancy Association, there were records of Greenhouse Frog appearing in Hong Kong since 2011. It is suspected that they are following the soil of horticultural plants and spread around the world. We met two forms of Greenhouse Frog in a night, one mottled back (more common), the other has two stripes running from eyelid to groin areas on its back.

Their eggs undergo direct development, which means they skip aquatic tadpole stages and become adults directly from embryos. Therefore, the survival rate is higher than other frogs and toads. They inhabit the underneath leaf litters in forests. Often hidden in the bottom of the greenhouse or nursery. The size of Greenhouse Frog is 16-32mm only, they feed on ants and other small invertebrates. It seems they have little effects on Hong Kong's natural ecology, however, as they are similar in size and diet with frogs such as Omate Pigmy Frog (Microhyla fissipes), Butler's Pigmy Frog (Microhyla butleri) and Romer's Tree Frog (Liuixalus romeri), which may cause a threat, compete for food and habitat. In Hawaii, Greenhouse Frog expanded rapidly after invading, with a current distribution density of 12,500/hm2, which consumes 129,000/hm2 of invertebrates per night.

溫室蟾 Greenhouse Frog, Eleutherodactylus planirostris
16-32mm
兩棲綱 Amphibia
無尾目 Anura
卵齒蟾科 Eleutherodactylidae

參考 Reference
http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/56864/0
http://www.nature.edu.hk/species_database/details/eleutherodactylus-planirostris
https://www.facebook.com/cahk1968/photos/a.10151922400906164.1073741825.120372376163/10152147602001164/?type=1&theater
http://www.amphibiachina.org/news/36
http://html.rhhz.net/scdwzz/html/54983.htm