Human-Assisted Invasions of Pacific Islands by Litoria Frogs: A Case Study of the Bleating Tree Frog on Lord Howe Island

The bleating tree frog (Litoria dentata), native to mainland Australia, was accidentally introduced to Lord Howe Island (LHI) in the 1990s. This study reveals that the founding population originated from the Ballina region in northeastern New South Wales and identifies the species' widespread distribution across LHI, including human habitats, cattle pastures, and undisturbed forests. Using a mitochondrial phylogeographical approach, researchers traced the introduction route and assessed its ecological impact. The findings highlight the risks posed by human-assisted amphibian invasions to ecologically sensitive oceanic islands and propose biosecurity measures to prevent future introductions.

Plenderleith, T. L., Smith, K. L., Donnellan, S. C., Reina, R. D., & Chapple, D. G. (2015). Human-Assisted Invasions of Pacific Islands by Litoria Frogs: A Case Study of the Bleating Tree Frog on Lord Howe Island. Plos One, 10(5), e0126287. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0126287