Attack of the Alien Invaders, National Geographic Magazine: War on Annoying Frog In Hawaii
The community of Pahoa, south of Hilo in Hawaii, bought a 10,000 gallon sprayer to coat the jungle in their backyards with hydrated lime which they hope will curb the number of Coqui frogs. The Coqui—much revered in its native Puerto Rico—was first imported on plant material. It is the size of a quarter and has a chirpy call with a decibel level equal to a lawnmower. It is listed on the top 100 of the world’s worst invasive aliens.
Eleutherdactylus coqui was able to quickly adapt to Hawaii from its native Puerto Rico and reach unprecedented numbers because of the absence of predators. Its noisy mating behavior has made the Coqui frog the target of government and community eradication and control efforts.
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