Coqui - Puerto Rico

Coqui is the name of the tree frogs that inhabit Puerto Rico and are named for the sounds the male frogs make at night. It is believed that the “Co” is to fend off other males while establishing their territory, while the “qui” is to attract a female for mating. These frogs are native to Puerto Rico and have become the unofficial symbol of the island.

Although not very large, only three to five centimeters in length, they are a very adaptive species. They are not built for water, no webbed feet for swimming, but are able to live and reproduce in moist climates from sea level to an altitude of 1200 meters. Like most tree frogs, they have pads on their feet to enable them to adhere to slippery surfaces. The females have an amazing reproductive schedule; four to six times a year they lay up to 40 eggs during each reproductive cycle and gestation lasts less than a month.

Most of these frogs are brown-grey in color and hide easily in the trees of their habitat away from predators. Recently they have been found in Hawaii due to imports from Puerto Rico, where they wander into to various cargos that passes through these islands.

Puerto Rico has a rich and diverse endemic life on her lands. From plant life to birds and amphibians there is something for everyone. There are many species of frogs, but the one that makes the people of Puerto Rico the proudest is the Coqui.