Approximately 15 species of common coqui, members of the diverse neotropical frog genus Eleutherodactylus, are known on Puerto Rico. Of these 15, 13 have been found in El Yunque National Forest. This small frog earned its Puerto Rican common name due to the call of the most common coquí species on Puerto Rico, Eleutherodactylus coqui, which begins as the sun sets and ends in early dawn. This has made it an animal of great endearment to Puerto Ricans. Although the coquí is an amphibian it possesses some features that are unusual in frogs. These differences are seen mainly in its morphology, reproduction and developmental stages. In terms of morphology the coquí does not have webbings between its toes mainly because it is a tree dweller in moist environments. Another big difference is that it does not have a definite larval stage and the eggs laid by the female are terrestrial instead of aquatic. This means that a miniature frog-let, rather than a tadpole, arises from the incubation period.
Posted on: Sat, 31 May 2014 12:52:19 +0000
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