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The Taínos
Meet the Coquí
Hola! My name is Coquí. I'm a very small tree frog (about an inch-and-a-half long). I live in Puerto Rico. Let me introduce myself:
- Scientists call me Eleutherodactylus (el-oo-thear-oh-dak-till-us), which means 'free toes.' It's just a fancy way of saying I don't have webbed toes like most other frogs!
- I get my common name from the song I sing at night that goes, "ko-kee, ko-kee." When we all sing together, it can be as loud as an orchestra! Click on my picture to listen to my song.
- Only the boy frogs sing the 'ko-kee' song. It's a warning to other boys to stay away and a call to attract the girls.
- After the girl coquí lays her eggs on a damp leaf on the ground, the boy frog protects them until they hatch.
- Unlike other frogs, we don't have tadpoles. Our babies are born looking just like tiny copies of their parents. They have a tiny bit of a tail which disappears very quickly.
- The people of Puerto Rico love me! I am the island's mascot. You can find images of me on everything from t-shirts to glasses.
- Even the Taínos drew pictures of me on the rocks where they lived. These are called 'petroglyphs' (pet-troh-gliffs) or 'rock drawings.'
Photograph of Golden Coquí by George E. Drewry