NEW STAGE OF Leptodactylus fragilis INVASION IN CUBA: AN ALERT ALREADY ANNOUNCED

Roberto Alonso Bosch; Amelia Morón Ugarte; Yibril Massip Veloso

doi:10.22201/fc.25942158e.2026.1.1498

Autores/as

Roberto Alonso Bosch Museo de Historia Natural Felipe Poey. Facultad de Biologia. Universidad de La Habana
Amelia Morón Ugarte Facultad de Biología. Universidad de La Habana. Cuba
Yibril Massip Veloso

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.22201/fc.25942158e.2026.1.1498

Palabras clave:

Invasión biológica, Cuba, Expansión de área de distribución, Caribe, Leptodactylus

Resumen

Leptodactylus fragilis es la primera especie de este género registrada en las Indias Occidentales fuera de su área de distribución natural, que se extiende desde Texas, en Estados Unidos, pasando por México y América Central, hasta el norte y centro-oeste de Colombia y Venezuela. Recientemente también se ha registrado en localidades occidentales de Cuba y en San Andrés, en las islas caribeñas colombianas. En esta contribución advertimos sobre la posible expansión de la especie con el registro de una nueva localidad más al este, en la provincia de Pinar del Río, Cuba. Se reconoce una vez más la amenaza que el establecimiento, la colonización y la propagación de esta especie podrían representar para las especies nativas de hábitats abiertos y acuáticos en las tierras bajas del archipiélago cubano. Reclamamos la necesaria inclusión de esta especie exótica invasora en las listas actualizadas de fauna de la región, el país y la localidad para contribuir a orientar de manera eficiente los esfuerzos y recursos destinados a prevenir y contener sus impactos.

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