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Are Coqui Frogs Poisonous? [Know This Before You Touch the Frog]

Are Coqui Frogs Poisonous

Hearing a bird-like call similar to a frog croaking may confuse you. Although you may consider it a bird, it is actually a Coqui frog. Now, seeing this rare species of frog, you may wonder whether it is toxic or not!

So, are Coqui frogs poisonous? No, Coqui frogs are not poisonous at all. You can even touch these frogs with your bare hands. These frogs typically look dark and some even have stripes on their back. Coqui frogs are mainly found in the islands of Puerto Rico in the Caribbean region.

Well, this answers the query in brief. To learn more about this frog, move on to the main part. I have got many useful insights into it here.

Are Coqui Frogs Poisonous?

No, Coqui frogs are not toxic or poisonous to human beings. Their skin is neither toxic nor does it have any harmful particles.

As these frogs are mainly found in the Caribbean islands like Puerto Rico, other states rarely see this frog. Due to this, people get frightened and wonder about the potential hazards of this frog. 

Now, although they are not harmful, there are still some drawbacks to having this frog in or around your territory. 

Are Coqui Frogs Poisonous

Harmful side of Coqui frogs

To be precise, these frogs reproduce in large numbers, exceeding 10,000 frogs per acre. This can lead to a noise level of 80-90 decibels, which is similar to lawnmowers. 

As a result, they make it tough for local businesses like tourism and plant sales since people tend to avoid these places. Note that this noise can be impacted in a traffic-concentrated area as well. 

Accordingly, they eat lots of bugs, changing how things work in nature. This messes up the places where they live and makes it hard for native plants and other animals that feed on bugs. 

Harmful side of Coqui frogs

In addition to that, in some areas, the value of homes has gone down because of these frogs. This is because Coqui frogs tend to lay eggs everywhere, which makes the place look dirty.

Overall, they’re causing a lot of trouble for the environment and the people living there.

So, if you want to get rid of all these, you have to identify, locate, and capture them. To do this, move on to the next segment to take the necessary steps.

How to Identify and Locate Coqui Frogs?

How to Identify and Locate Coqui Frogs

Identifying and locating a Coqui frog is not easy at all. To identify these frogs, you mainly need to see the color. 

  • Their color is generally dark brownish, although some are light brown too.
  • Some of these frogs are seldom found orangish in color. 
  • Some have light stripes on the back, and some do not. 
  • This frog generally measures from 1 to 2.1 inches in terms of their body size. Despite the environment around these frogs, their body size remains more or less the same.
  • To identify a Coqui frog, you need to closely notice the sound they make. These frogs do not croak like the frogs generally do. They make bird-like sounds known as ‘ko-kee’. 
  • The Coqui male frogs mainly make this sound at night to attract female Coqui as their partners. Thus, you have to be more careful at night. Note that their calling sound can attract predators at times.
  • Make sure to keep an eye around to find any damp greenery to locate this frog.

What Do You Do When You See A Coqui Frog?

What Do You Do When You See A Coqui Frog

Seeing a Coqui frog for the first time may confuse you about what and what not to do. However, you actually have to take the necessary steps to stop them from spreading out.

  • To catch this frog, you can either use your bare hands or use a container. Note that the container must have a lid as this frog can jump and escape in a very clever way. 
  • As you catch this frog, make sure to call your local animal and pest management services to hand it over. 
  • You must never try to kill it as this can be against the legalities, let alone morality and ethics.

FAQs

Take a look below at some of the related queries about Coqui frogs.

Q1. Can I pet a Coqui frog?

Petting a Coqui frog is not a very common practice as these frogs reproduce in a high amount. These frogs can also make the environment noisy. However, there is no mistake in petting this frog if you can handle the pressure. 

Q2. Do Coqui frogs pose a danger to pet animals?

No, Coqui frogs do not pose a danger to the pet animals. However, if you pet any smaller frogs, you may want to be a bit careful. Coqui frogs only eat small insects, flies, and smaller frogs at times.

Q3. Where are Coqui frogs found?

Coqui frogs are mainly found in Puerto Rico, Vieques, and Culebra. Other than these islands, Coqui frogs are also sometimes found in the US Virgin Islands. Note that these frogs are rarely seen somewhere other than islands.

The Final Words

Now you know are coqui frogs poisonous or not! I believe you are no longer confused regarding this issue.

Always remember one thing about frogs. No matter how a frog looks, try to know the type, as frogs can be deadlier than you think. This may cause severe allergic complications and even lead to death. So, be careful about it!