SEAVR 2019: 072‐073
ISSN: 2424‐8525
Date of publication: 18 October 2019
Hosted online by ecologyasia.com

First records of the Greenhouse Frog (Eleutherodactylus planirostris)
in Southern Negros, Philippines
Abner A. BUCOL, Lilibeth A. BUCOL
abnerbucol2017@gmail.com

Observers: Abner A. Bucol, Lilibeth A. Bucol.
Photograph by: Abner A. Bucol.
Subject identified by: Abner A. Bucol, Emerson Sy.
Locations:(i) Amigo Subdivision, Barangay Piapi, Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental, Philippines (9.318572°, 123.310619°).
(ii) Daro, Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental, Philippines (9.315925°, 123.302715°).
Elevation: 2‐3 metres ASL.
Habitat: Lowland residential areas with gardens.
Date and time: (i) 20 Sep 2017, 18:00 hrs. (ii) 01 May 2019, 19:00 hrs.
Identity of subjects: Greenhouse Frog, Eleutherodactylus planirostris (Amphibia: Anura: Eleutherodactylidae).
Description of records: Figure 1 is an image ofour first observation of the Greenhouse Frog
Eleutherodactylus planirostris in Barangay
Piapi, Dumaguete. The frog was spotted by L.
Bucol inside a bathroom, which has an
opening that connects to a temporary
drainage outside with accumulated rocks andfew vegetation. Another frog was later foundjust beside the same property, inside an
abandoned container that collects rainwater.
In Barangay Daro, Dumaguete, we also foundthis frog: after a prolonged period of dry days
a juvenile was found inside a bathroom,
where it stayed for several nights. The firstauthor then searched during rainy nights inlate May and June and found at least six
individuals of this frog just outside ourresidence, in an area with extensive cover ofgrasses and sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas),and with a leaf litter of mango leaves(Mangifera indica).

Fig. 1.

© Abner A. Bucol

Remarks:
The spread of the introduced Greenhouse Frog (Eleutherodactylus planirostris) in the Philippines is being closely
monitored by Emerson Sy and others (Sy 2017a,b; Sy & del Prado, 2019; Pili et al. 2019). The historical accounts ofthe spread of this species from its native range (Cuba, Bahamas and Cayman Islands) to the Philippines via Hawaii
has been described in greater details in a recent paper by Pili et al. (2019).

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This species has not been reported to occur in Dumaguete, Negros Oriental in Southern Negros but it wasreported by Sy et al. (2015) in Bacolod (156 km to the north) in the northern section of Negros Island. Its presencein Dumaguete is interesting because of its proximity to Cuernos de Negros mountain range, which is home toseveral endemic forest frogs, There exists an ornamental plant trade in neighboring towns and villages (e.g.
Valencia town and Janay‐janay near Twin Lakes Natural Park): we postulate that this frog has reached Dumaguete
via this trade. There is a risk that this species might soon compete with native species (including endemics) in thearea.
References:Pili, A. N., Sy, E. Y., Diesmos, M. L. L. & Diesmos, A. C. (2019). Island Hopping in a Biodiversity Hotspot Archipelago:
Reconstructed Invasion History and Updated Status and Distribution of Alien Frogs in the Philippines. Pacific
Science 73(3): 321‐343.
Sy, E. Y., Martyr, J.C. & Diesmos, A. C. (2015) Geographic distribution: Eleutherodactylus planirostris (GreenhouseFrog). Herpetological Review 46(1): 56
Sy, E. Y. (2017a). Geographic distribution: Eleutherodactylus planirostris (Greenhouse Frog): Philippines, Mactan
Island, Cebu Province. Herpetological Review 48(3): 583.
Sy, E. Y. (2017b). Geographic distribution: Eleutherodactylus planirostris (Greenhouse Frog): Philippines, Palawan
Island. Herpetological Review 48(3): 583
Sy, E. & del Prado, Y. L. C. (2019). New distributional records of introduced frogs on Leyte Island, Philippines.
Southeast Asia Vertebrate Records 2019: 065‐067.

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