Too Noisy in Paradise??

Tree frogs are found throughout the world. In many places of the world, tree frogs are endangered and protected. The coqui tree frog has now come to Hawaii, accidentally transported with plants from the Caribbean.

The coqui frog is non-poisonous and is small, about the size of a quarter. They climb up trees at night to sing their mating song, and later parachute down the trees using their webbed feet.

Some people in Hawaii, unaccustomed to the sound, find the coqui's mating call objectionable. Others have come to enjoy the sound. I happen to love the sound. 

The sound of the coqui is like a two-tone chirp. The coqui's song is no louder than that of some birds or crickets. One of the first impressions one gets from the frog's song is that it is some exotic nighttime bird. The coquis sing this mating song until dawn, harmonizing with the tropical sounds of crickets and surf that grace the Hawaiian nights.

Some people find the sound of the coquis much more pleasant when they think of it as a cheerful, festive sound. Others find the tiny frogs more acceptable once they realize that the coquis eat mosquitoes, roaches and other pests. Every tropical area in the world has frogs singing at night.

One of the best ways to get used to the coquis' song is to hear it as music, and not noise.

information courtesy of The Coqui Hawaiian Integration and Reeducation Project