Whistling coqui facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Whistling coquí |
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Eleutherodactylus ramosi Rivero, 1959 |
The whistling coquí (pronounced koh-KEE) is a small frog that lives in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. It's also found in the British Virgin Islands. People sometimes call it Cochran's treefrog or Cochran's robber frog. In Puerto Rico, it's known as coquí pitito.
This frog is a night animal, meaning it's active when the sun goes down. It loves to eat insects. You can recognize the whistling coquí by its special song. It makes a single, rising whistle sound. This whistle is repeated, and then it's followed by three clicking sounds.
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What the Whistling Coquí Looks Like
The whistling coquí is a small frog. It usually measures between 0.6 and 0.7 inches long. Female frogs can grow a bit bigger, up to 0.9 inches.
Their skin can be gray, tan, or a mix of gray-brown. On their backs, they have a unique pattern. It looks like two curved lines, almost like reverse parentheses {)(}. Their bellies are white, gray, or a creamy yellow color.
Their legs are brown and have small toe pads. They also have dark, thin lines right down the middle of their snouts. You might notice small brown spots on their throats and thighs.
Where Whistling Coquís Live
Whistling coquís like to sleep during the day. They often hide in plants called bromeliads that grow on trees. They also like to hide in piles of coconut husks. These are also the places where they lay their eggs.
You can find these frogs in different parts of Puerto Rico. Some live in the dry forests of Guánica. Others live in more humid areas like Utuado, Cayey, and the Caribbean National Forest.
Overall, they live on most of the Puerto Rican islands. They are not found on Mona and Monito islands. They also live on St. John and St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands. In the British Virgin Islands, they are found on most islands, but not Anegada.
These frogs prefer wooded areas, both dry and humid. They use trees, like bromeliad plants, and leaf litter to stay safe. This helps them hide from animals that might try to eat them. Depending on where they live, you might find them up to three feet high in trees.
Whistling Coquí Reproduction and Life Cycle
Male whistling coquís sing their special songs to attract females. They usually sing from about three feet up in trees. You can often hear them singing before it gets dark and after the sun comes up.
The way these frogs reproduce is quite interesting. Unlike many frogs, their eggs do not hatch into tadpoles. Instead, the eggs are laid in humid places. Tiny froglets hatch directly from the eggs. These little froglets then grow into adult frogs.
See also
In Spanish: Coquí pitito para niños
