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Lithobates catesbeianus, the American bullfrog, originating in eastern U.S., was recently introduced by humans after a failed attempt at breeding the species for food production. The wetland habitat where it was introduced, lake Agia, is now almost void of one of its natural inhabitants, Pelophylax cretensis, endemic to the island of Crete.
This large alien species reaches up to 18 cm in length and even its tadpoles can measure 15 cm long. It feeds on a variety of small mammals, birds, amphibians and reptiles, anything smaller than itself. In addition to devouring other amphibians, like its endemic competitor, it also carries a deadly fungus which exterminates other amphibians. As it has no natural predators it poses a serious threat to wetland ecosystems of Crete and Greece in general.

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herpetofauna.gr - Ελληνική Ερπετοπανίδα

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Όλα τα Ερπετά και Αμφίβια της Ελλάδας με φωτογραφίες και βασικές πληροφορίες

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Pelophylax cretensis

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Endemic to Crete
IUCN status: Endangered

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Crete has a rather poor herpetofauna: Only 14 species in total. More specifically: There are 3 species of Anura (frogs and toads) not counting one invasive alien species, 4 species of lizards, 3 species of geckos, 4 species of snakes and two species of Testudines including Caretta caretta.
Howcome only so few?
Amphibians usually cannot travel/disperse over large marine water bodies. So any amphibians found here most likely date back to a time when Crete was still attached to the Peloponnese and the mainland of Greece.
Reptiles are more capable of dispersing over large marine body waters, clinging onto naturally occurring rafts. So the question arises, why are there so few left on the island?
This is most likely due to humans and their accompanying predators, like weasels, badges etc. causing a high extinction to speciation ratio.

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Another non-native invasive species, also originating in North America, is the terrapin Trachemys scripta elegans, commonly called red-eared slider.  A popular house pet, whose trade has been prohibited in the E.U. but which unfortunately continues to appear in pet shops and is later released into local natural habitats when it becomes t Being quite resilient it survives and displaces its naturally occuring competitors Mauremys rivulata, the Balkan terrapin by competition for territory and nutrition, as well as predation of its eggs.
The red-eared slider is included in the list of 100 most invasive species of the world.

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herpetofauna.gr - Ελληνική Ερπετοπανίδα

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Όλα τα Ερπετά και Αμφίβια της Ελλάδας με φωτογραφίες και βασικές πληροφορίες

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Agia lake, a semi-natural wetland biotope in western Crete

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Agia lake, a semi-natural wetland biotope in western Crete

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a non-native invasive species

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Fascinating facts I didn't know. Did you?

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Fascinating facts I didn't know. Did you?

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Chameleons are not the only reptiles that can change their skin color according to their mood... Geckos or at least one species of gecko, Mediodactylus kotschyi or Kotschy's gecko, present on Crete, also possesses this amazing feature!
Could this be one of many amazing adaptations reptiles have acquired through evolution and natural selection thus improving their chances of survival and reproduction?

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Check out this cool wall I chose as the background for my padlet. I bet there's a great likelihood to come across some geckos crawling around on it. Since my herpetoarea is Crete, a closer look at the wall might reveal some creepy crawly creatures like ...

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During the interglacial periods many species moved southward to warmer areas like the peninsulas. Then, during the glacial periods they were isolated, thus evolving separate species which explains the high endemism of those areas.