"Sound of coquí in Hatillo" Shared by El Cloquido
Problems listening to this file? See media help.

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 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.

Taxonomy

Coquís 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. Coquis additionally have become established in Hawaii, where they are considered an invasive species.

Seventeen described species of coquís inhabit Puerto Rico. In 2007 a new species, the Coquí Llanero, was officially named Eleutherodactylus juanariveroi.^[1]

Role in the ecosystem

The coqui has essentially become the species which controls the population of herbivorous insects.

Population decline

The decline of coquí populations has accelerated since the introduction of the Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis fungus.^[2] This fungus has been extremely effective against many amphibians because it can cause skin infection. The coquis 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 Rodriguez 2007). Individuals that carry this fungus resistance are more often found where the B. dendrobatidis fungus is concentrated. Although the fungus prefers humid environments, infection is more frequent in drier climates because coquís tend to cluster in humid sub-areas within this drier climate (Burrowes, Longo and Rodriguez 2007).

Geographic distribution

The current record from the USGS^[3] 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 coquis, both males, kept in a greenhouse for 2–3 years until killed off by a winter freeze.^[3]

Coquis 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.^[4][5][6] Some groups favor its adoption.^[7]

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.^[4]

In popular culture

The sound of a coquí can be heard distinctly in the songs "Acércate" and "Ángel Caído".

See also

	Puerto Rico portal
	Biology portal

• Common Coquí
• Fauna of Puerto Rico
• List of amphibians and reptiles of Puerto Rico
• Coqui Francolin, also onomatopoeically named

References

Cliff Chirping Frog, Eleutherodactylus marnockii

Eleutherodactylus is a genus of frogs in the Eleutherodactylidae family.^[1] Many of the 185 species of the genus are commonly known as "rain frogs" or "robber frogs", due to their sharp, high-pitched, insect-like calls.^[2]

The best-known species is the common coquí (E. coqui), which is both a national symbol of Puerto Rico and a notorious invasive species in Hawaii. Two Eleutherodactylus species, E. limbatus and E. iberia, belong to the smallest known frogs, measuring only 8.5 mm in length^[3] (only slightly larger than Paedophryne amauensis, which measures around 7.7 mm).^[4]

Etymology

The name "Eleutherodactylus" is derived from the Greek words for free-toed. Most species are small, slender, and cryptically colored, with three to five free toes. A few, such as the web-footed coquí (E. karlschmidti) of Puerto Rico, do have completely webbed feet.

Distribution and habitat

Species of Eleutherodactylus are found throughout the Neotropics, including the Southern United States, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. Additionally, the common coquí (E. coqui) has been introduced to several islands in the Hawaiian archipelago, as well as elsewhere in the Pacific.^[5]

They can be terrestrial, arboreal, or aquatic, typically living in forests or riparian areas, and feeding primarily upon arthropods. Many Eleutherodactylus species have highly restricted ranges and are found on only one island or in one or a few localities. Even some of these restricted species can occur at very high densities.

Reproduction and development

All species of Eleutherodactylus are characterized by direct development, in which eggs hatch directly into small frogs, completely bypassing the tadpole stage. This adaptation may be largely responsible for their ecological and evolutionary success. Most species are characterized by parental behaviors, such as egg-guarding by either the male or female parent. In some cases, even young froglets are attended by parents. Another extinct Puerto Rican species, the golden coquí (E. jasperi), gave birth to live young. Many species (for example, Cook's robber frog, E. cooki), also of Puerto Rico, exhibit sexual dimorphism in size and color.

Phylogenetics

The basis of forming this genus has been morphological, but sequence comparisons of protein-encoding DNA, mitochondrial DNA, and ribosomal RNA have shown geographic range is a much more consistent predictor of cladistics for this group of frogs. The climbing habits of many species have evolved independently. All true members of the genus have been clustered into subgenera, but many less-related species require more genetic data before they are to be officially classified elsewhere. The theory that the eleutherodactyline colonization of Central America and the Caribbean from their origins in South America occurred during the Cretaceous has fallen out of favor. The fossil record, combined with molecular clock analyses, indicate the subgenera were probably founded by small groups of individuals by flotsam dispersal during the Eocene or Oligocene epochs. Land bridges would have been limited to facilitating dispersal between West Indian islands, however, the Oligocene division of Hispaniola and Cuba resulted in further speciation. The distribution of the subgenus Syrrhopus is most likely due to a secondary dispersal to Central America from the Greater Antilles during the Miocene. The formation of the Panama Isthmus during the Pliocene has caused some intercontinental distribution among the clades, although only 20 "South American frogs" have ever made it northwards after the original colonization.^[6] Sensu stricto, however, it should exclude clades with distributions south of the Panama Canal.^[6]

Species

West Indian (subgenus Eleutherodactylus)

West Indian (subgenus Euhyas)

Hispaniolan (subgenus Pelorius)

North/Central American and Cuban (subgenus Syrrhopus)

Central American clade (genus/subgenus Craugastor)

Undefined clade

References

1. ^ Hedges, S. B., W. E. Duellman, and M. P. Heinicke . 2008. New World direct-developing frogs (Anura: Terrarana): molecular phylogeny, classification, biogeography, and conservation. Zootaxa 1737: 1-182.
2. ^ "Amphibian Species of the World". Retrieved 2011-11-23. 
3. ^ The Center for Reptile and Amphibian Research: Interesting Facts About Amphibians
4. ^ Rittmeyer, E. N.; Allison, A.; Gründler, M. C.; Thompson, D. K.; Austin, C. C. (2012). "Ecological Guild Evolution and the Discovery of the World's Smallest Vertebrate". In Etges, William J. PLoS ONE 7 (1): e29797. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0029797. PMC 3256195. PMID 22253785.  edit
5. ^ > "Eleutherodactylus coqui (amphibian) at the Global Invasive Species Database". Retrieved 2007-06-06. 
6. ^ ^{a b} Heinicke, M.P., W.E. Duellman & S.B. Hedges (2007). "Major Caribbean and Central American frog faunas originated by ancient oceanic dispersal". Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. 104 (24): 10092–7. doi:10.1073/pnas.0611051104. PMC 1891260. PMID 17548823.