Description This frog, known as the Puerto Rican coqui, is small. The dorsal colors vary from brown to grayish-brown with highly variable color patterns. On the dorsal surface it varies from uniform brown to gray and may have a faint "M" between its shoulders. It may also have two broad cream or light colored dorsolateral stripes irregularly bordered with tiny black spots. Some individuals have a broad cream or light colored band across the head between the eyes. The belly is white or yellow, stippled with brown. These frogs have large toe pads with no webbing between the toes. The eye color varies from brown to gold. (Conant and Collins 1991).
Distribution and Habitat
Country distribution from AmphibiaWeb's database: Puerto Rico. Introduced: Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, United States, Virgin Islands, U.S.. U.S. state distribution from AmphibiaWeb's database: California, Hawaii
This species is native to Puerto Rico (Conant and Collins 1991).
Life History, Abundance, Activity, and Special Behaviors This species of frog is a direct developer. The adults lay eggs on land and they hatch directly into subadult frogs. The free-swimming tadpole stage, common in many amphibians, is completely lacking in this species (Conant and Collins 1991).
Trends and Threats This charismatic and vocal frog has been introduced into Florida and has also caused problems in Hawaii.
References
Conant, R. and Collins, J. T. (1991). A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians: Eastern/Central North America. Houghton Mifflin, Boston.
Joglar, R. L. (1998). Los Coquíes de Puerto Rico: Su Historia Natural y Conservación. University of Puerto Rico Press, Puerto Rico.
Originally submitted by: Vance Vredenburg (first posted 2001-05-07)
Edited by: Kellie Whittaker (2008-05-07)Species Account Citation: AmphibiaWeb 2008 Eleutherodactylus coqui: Puerto Rican Coqui <https://amphibiaweb.org/species/2858> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed Aug 8, 2022.
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Citation: AmphibiaWeb. 2022. <https://amphibiaweb.org> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed 8 Aug 2022.
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