1. Characteristics

2. Habitat

3. Taxonomy

4. Role in the ecosystem

5. The coquís' call

6. Reproduction

7. Life cycle stages

8. Population decline

9. Control population

10. Geographic distribution/invasive species

11. In popular culture

12. See also

13. References

14. External links

Coquí is the common name for several species of small frogs in the genus Eleutherodactylus native to Puerto Rico. They are onomatopoeically named for the very loud mating call which the males of two species, the common coqui and the upland coqui, make at night. The coquí is one of the most common frogs in Puerto Rico, with more than 16 different species found within its territory, including 13 in the El Yunque National Forest. Other species of this genus can be found in the rest of the Caribbean and elsewhere in the Neotropics, in Central and South America. The Eleutherodactylus Coquí is a national symbol to their native island, Puerto Rico. There is a Puerto Rican expression that goes, “Soy de aqui, como el coquí”, which translates to “I’m from here, like the coquí."

Characteristics

The Eleutherodactylus coquí is a small tree frog that can vary in color. These frogs can be a mixture of brown, yellow, green, and gray on the top and the bottom side of their body is either white or yellow. The eye color is a variation of brown and gold. The first word of the species' scientific classification is the genus name Eleutherodactylus which is Ancient Greek for "free toes", referring to the fact that this species has no webbing in between its toes.^[1] The coquí have special disks instead of webbing on their feet, differentiating them from many other types of frogs. The special disks on their feet help the coquí climb and stick to trees and leaves.

Habitat

Coquís live in tropical areas and have recently been discovered in different levels of elevation. This species tends to stay low to the ground and are generally found at sea level, although the coquí population is growing and they are, in turn, migrating to less populous areas; it is not uncommon to find them in higher levels of elevation. Coquís can be found at up to 1200m in elevation, usually in humid mountain forests or in dry forests. According to the Invasive Species Compendium, the Eleutherodactylus coquí shares the nests of common native species of birds like the “bananaquit (Coereba flaveola portoricensis), the Puerto Rican bullfinch (Loxigilla portoricensis), and the Puerto Rican tody (Todus mexicanus)”.^[2] Coquís tend to be in their natural habitats in the forests but it is also common for the species to appear in human territories such as houses, parks, and near bodies of water.

Taxonomy

Coquíes belong to the Eleutherodactylus genus which in Greek means free toes. Eleutherodactylus contains over 700 different species that naturally occur in the southern United States, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. Coquíes additionally have become established in Hawaii, where they are considered an invasive species, and have recently been spotted in California after hitching rides among shipments of nursery plants.

Seventeen described species of coquí inhabit Puerto Rico. In 2007, a new species, the coqui llanero, was officially named Eleutherodactylus juanariveroi.^[3]

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Amphibia

Order: Anura

Family: Leptodactylidae

Genus: Eleutherodactylus

Role in the ecosystem

The various species of coquí control the populations of herbivorous insect species in their local environments. Their voracious appetites focus on arthropods like cockroaches, spiders, crickets, and beetles. Larger coquí species may feast on lizards and fellow frogs.

The coquís' call

The coquí frog gets its name from the mating call of the male, which sounds like coquí, or “co-kee.” Male coquí frogs use their call to attract female frogs and establish their territory. When multiple male coquíes are found in the same area, they challenge each other's domain by song. The coquí frog that loses usually flees and tends to relocate to another area or compete for territory elsewhere. Male coquís start singing around the time the sun sets and continue throughout the night, until dawn.

Reproduction

Although coquíes can reproduce all year long, their breeding is at its peak during the wet season, which is around April to October. Female frogs tend to lay about 15 to 40 eggs roughly five times a year. Coquís differ from most other frog species because coquís lay their eggs in terrestrial plants, whereas other frog species usually lay their eggs in water.^[1] Female coquíes can lay approximately 30 eggs at a time, between 4-6 times a year. The males gather up the eggs and provide protection in a nest, guarding them. Because the eggs must remain moist, male coquíes will periodically leave the nest to collect moisture in order to keep the eggs hydrated when it appears they are beginning to dry out. The male coquí frog keeps the eggs moist by touching them with his moist skin.

Life cycle stages

When it comes to the stages of a frog's life, the Eleutherodactylus coquí has a unique life cycle. While most frogs begin their lives as tadpole or larval stages (complete with a small tail that aids the juvenile frog in swimming before they develop legs), the coquíes are hatched as tiny frogs with short tails, thereby entirely skipping the tadpole stage. All species of Eleutherodactylus are characterized by direct development in which eggs hatch into small frogs, with the tadpole stage completed within the egg itself. Because coquís do not have a tadpole stage, bodies of water are not necessary for female frogs to lay their eggs.

Once the species reaches their adult stage, most coquí do not live longer than a year, although the National Wildlife Federation claims some coquíes have been found to be as old as six years.^[2]

Population decline

The decline of coquí populations has accelerated since the introduction of the Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis fungus.^[5] This pathogenic fungus has been extremely devastating towards amphibian populations as the pathogen impairs the permeability of the skin. The coquís found in El Yunque are resistant to the B. dendrobatidis fungus at the expense of their size, which reduces the aptitude to survive in the wilderness (Burrowes, Longo and Rodríguez 2007). Individual coquí species that carry this fungal resistance are most often found in regions where the B. dendrobatidis fungus is concentrated and the coquí diet is thus more abundant. Although the fungus prefers humid environments, infection is more frequent in drier climates because coquíes tend to cluster in humid sub-areas within this drier climate, thereby increasing the chance of spreading of the pathogen.^[5]

Control population

Overall attempts to limit or control the coquí population were unsuccessful. However, efforts have begun to reduce the coquí population. In Hawaii, the intentional transportation of frogs is banned, and coquís are labeled as pests.

Another action that appears to be effective in decreasing the coquí population in commercial areas is a hot shower treatment on nursery plants. The hot shower works as a disinfestation treatment for not only the Eleutherodactylus coquí eggs but it is also effective for the adult coquís.

When it comes to using chemicals, there are only a few that are legal. Citric acid can be legally used in Hawaii but the chemical must directly contact with coquíes, perhaps even multiple times. However, the citric acid may adversely impact the plants and cause unseemly spots.^[2] Other substances that are used to control the species is hydrated lime and caffeine. 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.^[10]

Geographic distribution/invasive species

The current record from the USGS^[6] establishes that it has been identified in Puerto Rico, Hawaii, St. Croix, St. John, St. Thomas, California, and the Dominican Republic.

Coquís have become established on the Big Island of Hawai'i, where they are considered an invasive species. Coquí population density in Hawaii can reach 20,000 animals per acre, effecting {{convert|50,000|acre|ha}}. Eradication campaigns are underway on Hawai{{okina}}i and Maui.^[7][8][9] Some groups favor its adoption.{{clarify|date=September 2016}}^[10]

The Eleutherodactylus coqui was introduced to Hawaii around the late 1980s. This species found its way to the Hawaiian Islands by hiding in plants that were being transported to the islands. Studies have shown that the species has increased the nutrient cycling rates and helped those native species with the lack of nutrients to adapt in better conditions.^[11] The coquí have a very small number of predators (snakes, rats, and some lizards); as a result, the species population has increased over time. Another factor to the species increase in population is the fact that they can breed continuously throughout the year. However, the Eleutherodactylus coquí has negatively impacted their environments by impacting native species. The coquí frog has increased competition with native birds, and other frogs. The expansion of the Eleutherodactylus coquí has forced other creatures such as bats to seek alternatives as they start to compete for food at higher elevation. Birds and bats were not greatly impacted with the introduction of coquís to the island until they started appearing in higher ground. This species is even feeding on native spiders and insects that are close to extinction.

In popular culture

Puerto Rican boy band Menudo had a song named "Coqui",^[12] which they sang on their movie Una Aventura Llamada Menudo, on a scene where coquis can be heard. you can hear the sound of a coqui in the song "Todo me recuerda a ti" by Pedro Capó.{{citation needed|date=January 2016}}

The sound of a coqui can be heard distinctly at the beginning and end of the songs "Acércate" and "Ángel Caído",^[13] by singer Ivy Queen.

In the first movement of The Mars Volta's song "Miranda That Ghost Just Isn't Holy Anymore", 4 minutes of coqui frogs can be heard singing (credited as "The Coqui of Puerto Rico" on the album sleeve).^[14]

The sounds of coqui can be heard in various night scenes in The Rum Diary.

The coqui is sampled in the Lin-Manuel Miranda song "Almost Like Praying", and is most clearly audible at the beginning and end of the track.

See also

• Common coqui
• Fauna of Puerto Rico
• List of amphibians and reptiles of Puerto Rico
• Coqui francolin, also onomatopoeically named

References

External links

• Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR), Eleutherodactylus coqui
• University of Hawaii, Control of Coqui Frog in Hawaii
• State of Hawaii, Department of Agriculture, Coqui Frog Information
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20090412224128/http://hawaiiancoqui.org/ Coqui Hawaiian Integration and Reeducation Project]
• [https://www.webcitation.org/5msYrFIpR?url=http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt ITIS]

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