Species that are considered high risk have a well-documented history of invasiveness in at least one location globally, and a high or medium climate match to the contiguous United States.
Osteopilus septentrionalis is a tree frog native to Cuba and a few neighboring islands in the Caribbean. They consume invertebrates and small vertebrates, including other frogs, lizards, and small snakes. Breeding can occur in very small water bodies and individuals reach sexual maturity in less than one year. The history of invasiveness is high. O. septentrionalis has become established in areas of the southern United States and multiple Caribbean islands. There is a potential established population in Hawaii but it has not been confirmed. Direct predation on native fauna is the primary concern associated with this species in novel environments and it has been shown to have a negative impact of survivorship and growth of native species. Climate matching indicated the contiguous United States has a high climate match with already established O. septentrionalis populations in Florida and Louisiana. Certainty of this assessment is medium. The overall risk assessment category is high.
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High Risk
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