The Puerto Rican Coqui Frog

The Puerto Rican Coqui Frogs are non-poisonous and are small, about the size of a quarter.  They climb up trees at night to sing their mating song. They are also interesting biologically in that they are born as tiny frogs, instead of as tadpoles.  They are an important part of a tropical environment since they control insect populations.  They eat insect pests such as mosquitoes, leaf hoppers, tree borers, centipedes, termites, and virtually anything smaller than themselves, including other frogs.  Their consumption of insect pests makes them a benefit to the environment, agriculture and human health. 

The coquí is a batrarian frog having two separate toes with suckers. The zoological name of this species are Eleutherodactylus, the length of the name exceeds the creature itself in length. More than 16 different species live in Puerto Rico, 13 of which live in El Yunque (Caribbean National Rain Forest). It is not web-footed and has no swimming membrane between its fingers and toes. 

The coquí has only a minute tail when it is born, and this quickly disappears. It size can vary between 15mm and 80mm, and the color of the coquí varies considerably, sometimes having touches of different colors or two dorsolateral stripes. The colors are usually describe as green or brown. Another characteristics of the Puerto Rican Coqui is that it does not go through the intermediate phase of being a tadpole as other frogs do.

It is a very popular creature throughout the island and creates romantic evenings with its timid ko-kee sound that it makes (from which it get its name). You can find the coquí at the margin of forest where the area receives a large amount of moisture, in highlands or lowlands, dry places - arid, or in caves depending on the species.

There is a well know story on the Island about a female tourist who fell in love with a Coqui and took it back to the United States with her.  The Coqui was so unhappy that it would no longer make the Coqui sound.  The female tourist felt so bad, she brought it back to Puerto Rico and once again, it began to Coqui.

To hear the Coqui, click here.