LIHUE — Invasive coqui frogs are on the loose. On Tuesday, an unidentified Kauai nursery contacted the Kauai Invasive Species Committee to report suspected frogs, according to the Hawaii Department of Agriculture. That evening, a KISC field crew was able
LIHUE — Invasive coqui frogs are on the loose.
On Tuesday, an unidentified Kauai nursery contacted the Kauai Invasive Species Committee to report suspected frogs, according to the Hawaii Department of Agriculture. That evening, a KISC field crew was able to capture three coqui. However, one or two more are believed to still be loose.
Ray Kahaunaele, KISC’s field operations supervisor, said the frogs are secluded to one location and that crew returned to the nursery Thursday night, but was unable to locate the remaining frogs.
“When they get scared they kind of quiet down for awhile,” said HDOA Public Information Officer Janelle Saneishi.
She said KISC would continue to monitor the site at night to listen for the frog’s distinct mating call — a two-note, high-pitched “ko-kee” sound.
“We’ve been getting more calls (about coqui) because the weather is warming up, and they become more active,” Saneishi said.
Native to Puerto Rico, the small, nocturnal frogs were accidentally introduced to Hawaii hidden in plants around or before 1988, according to the KISC website.
Saneishi said she could not disclose the location of where the frogs were found on Kauai because the department does not want to discourage businesses or residents from making reports.
Two coqui frogs were also captured last week on Oahu.
The quarter-sized frogs have no natural predators, eat “huge quantities of insects” leading to loss of pollination, and produce a “loud, incessant and annoying call from dusk until dawn,” according to the site.
Suspected coqui frogs or other invasive species should be reported to KISC at 821-1490 or the state Pest Hotline at 634-7378.
