By BEVERLY FLEMING

Holidays are always memorable for the good times, good food and fun with family but this past Thanksgiving Day was a memorable one for me because it was my formal introduction to the Cuban treefrog. I had learned about the frog during Master Gardener and Master Naturalist training. I knew that it was an exotic invasive species. But I hadn't actually seen one.

Our son-in-law, John, was smoking a turkey on the back patio in Mandarin. He came in to say he wanted us all to come out to see something. I thought it was probably something about his new smoker but was surprised when he turned to the old BBQ grill and pointed.

At first, I didn't see anything. Then my eye focused on an ash gray lump with a few dark spots that looked like a partially burned lump of charcoal--until one of the spots blinked and I realized it was an eye! My eyes and mind readjusted and I recognized the object was alive and that it was a frog or toad.

Upon closer inspection, I saw a large almost white frog about three and a half inches long and almost as wide. It had large bumps on the back and a slight pattern on the back legs. But the distinctive characteristic was super-size suction cups on the tip of each of the frog's toes.

Then John asked, "Have you ever seen anything like this before?"

I could certainly say that I had not but that I thought it might be a Cuban tree frog. When we went inside, I asked Katherine if I could use the computer and when she said "Yes," I logged onto the University of Florida website. Sure enough, the first photos were of a pale gray version of the subject in question and explanation that said the frogs go pale when they are cold. They go into a sort of inactive state of semi-hibernation when the temperatures drop.

A Cuban tree frog rests in a barbecue grill in Mandarin. According to the University of Florida IFAS Extension Service, this invasive species came to the state from the Caribbean tropics. BEVERLY FLEMING/Special to My St. Johns Sun

Evidently, the Cuban tree frog (Osteopilus septentrionalis) came to the United States in the 1920s and gradually spread north from the port areas in Miami. They found the climate hospitable and proliferated. Now, they have been observed even in southern Georgia.

As an invasive exotic, the Cuban tree frog takes over the habitat of native species of tree frogs. In fact, they are such voracious feeders they eat our native tree frogs as well as toads, lizards, and insects in the same area. They are commonly found around homes and in gardens, especially where it is damp and there are a lot of flowers that attract insects. They will lay eggs in ornamental fish ponds, in standing water such as bird baths, and even in clorinated swimming pools!

One thing about the Cuban frog that is different from the native species is that the Cuban tree frog likes to come into houses. According to reports, many people have been shocked to find them plugging up kitchen and bathroom drains and even in the toilet.

So what do you do if you find a Cuban treefrog? The best thing is to humanely euthanize it. Be careful not to touch the skin of the frog with bare hands. They have a slimy skin secretion that can cause skin irritation. Using plastic to protect the hands, place the frog in a plastic bag. Spray with benzocaine along the backbone and seal the bag. Put it into the freezer. After a couple of days, take it out and put it in the trash. If you cannot force yourself to destroy the frog, at least capture it and keep it confined in a covered terrarium or aquarium as a pet.

Dr. Steve Johnson, his staff and students at the University of Florida are doing research projects involving Cuban tree frogs. For more information, go to the UF site at ufwildlife.ifas.ufl.edu/cuban-treefrog-research.

Incidentally, that new smoker works just fine. The turkey was moist, brown and delicious.

Beverly Fleming is a park naturalist with the St. Johns County Recreation and Parks Department. She can be reached at (904) 284-9488.