Coquí is a 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 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 coquí is an unofficial national symbol of Puerto Rico; there is a Puerto Rican expression that goes, "Soy de aquí, como el coquí", which translates to "I'm from here, like the coquí."
Characteristics
Eleutherodactylus spp. are small tree frogs 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. They can range in size from . The first word of the species' scientific classification is the genus name Eleutherodactylus which is Ancient Greek and Modern Greek for "free toes", referring to the fact that this species has no webbing in between its toes. The coquí have special disks instead of webbing on their feet, differentiating them from many other types of frogs. These disks help the coquí climb and stick to trees and leaves.
Habitat
Coquís live in tropical areas and have been discovered in different levels of elevation. They 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)". 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
Coquís belong to the Eleutherodactylus genus which in Greek means free toes. Eleutherodactylus contains over 200 species that naturally occur in the southern United States, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean.
Seventeen described species of coquí inhabit Puerto Rico. In 2007, a new species, the coqui llanero, was officially named Eleutherodactylus juanariveroi.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Leptodactylidae
Genus: Eleutherodactylus
Eleutherodactylus coqui Thomas 1966
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.
A study on mass balance and ecosystem processes discussed how animals affect plant and soil pools through excretion. One of the roles coqui frogs play is by greatly increasing nutrient pools in plant biomass and in litter.
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 coquís 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 coquís 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. The males gather up the eggs and provide protection in a nest, guarding them. Because the eggs must remain moist, male coquís 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.
