| Coquí (Puerto Rican Frog) | |
|---|---|
| Common Coquí, Eleutherodactylus coqui | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryotic |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Subphylum: | Vertebrata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Subclass: | Lissamphibia |
| Order: | Anura |
| Family: | Leptodactylidae |
| Subfamily: | Eleutherodactylinae |
| Genus: | Eleutherodactylus Duméril and Bibron, 1841 |
| Species | |
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Coquí is the common name for several species of small frogs endemic to the island of Puerto Rico, onomatopoeically named for the loud sound males of two species make at night, the common coqui and the mountain coqui. The coquí is one of the most common frogs in the small island of Puerto Rico. Many different species of small frogs create the family of the coquí.
More than 16 different species live in the island, 13 of which occur in the Caribbean National Forest. Other species of this genus can be found around the world: in Central and South America; and the Caribbean.
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Coquís belong to the Eleutherodactylus genus which in Greek means free toes. Eleutherodactylus contains over 700 different species that occur in the southern United States, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean.
Seventeen described species of coquís inhabit Puerto Rico. In 2007 a new species, the Coquí Llanero, was officially named Eleutherodactylus juanariveroi.[1]
The current record from the USGS[2] establishes that it has been identified in: Puerto Rico, Hawaii, St. Croix, St. John and St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, Dominican Republic, Vieques, and Florida.
At one point Louisiana was identified as another location but according to the USGS the Louisiana record was erroneous and was based on two pet coqui, both males, kept in a greenhouse for 2–3 years until killed off by a winter freeze [5].
Coquies have become established in Hawaii, where they are considered an invasive species. Coqui population density in Hawaii can reach 20,000 animals per acre and affects 50,000 acres (20,000 ha). Eradication campaigns are underway on Hawaiʻi and Maui.[3][4][5] Some groups favor its adoption.[6]
Eradication techniques include hand capture and spraying with a 12% solution of citric acid along with a certification program for nurseries to prevent them from acting as centers of contagion.[3]