FILE PHOTO
More than 60 male coqui frogs, like the one pictured above,
have been caught in the Central and Windward Oahu areas.

Shrill frogs expand
territory on Oahu

The coqui has been spotted in
Schofield Barracks and Mililani

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By Rosemarie Bernardo
rbernardo@starbulletin.com

QUIET NIGHTS in Central and Windward Oahu may soon end because of increasing numbers of male coqui frogs that screech their mating calls.

More frogs have been found in the East Range of Schofield Barracks and in the back yards of residential homes along Laniloa Place in Mililani.

Since May more than 60 frogs in Wahiawa and 20 frogs in Kahaluu have been caught, said Nilton Matayoshi of the Plant Pest Control Branch for the state Department of Agriculture.

"They (coqui male frogs) take away the tranquility," Matayoshi said.

Members of the Mililani/Launani Valley Neighborhood Board voted unanimously this week to recommend that city, state and federal agencies seek funding for using caffeine to eliminate coqui frogs before they become a problem on Oahu.

Board member Melissa Graffigna said, "We need to take action now."

Because of the nuisance and protection problem to the ecosystem, a proactive alliance is encouraged, Graffigna said.

The coqui frogs originated in Puerto Rico and grow up to 2 inches. They are light brown to black in color.

In Hawaii the coqui frogs were first found in 1988. More than 150 sites of the frogs were reported on the Big Island, Maui, Oahu and Kauai.

Up to a foot away, the mating call of a male coqui frog can reach up to the decibel level of 90 to 100, making it comparable to the noise made by a lawn mower, table saw or helicopter.

Matayoshi and Leila Gibson of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service made a short presentation on coqui frogs to the public at the board meeting Tuesday night.

The problem is in nurseries, Matayoshi said. Plants that may be carrying coqui frogs are being transported from island to island, he added.

An informational display on coqui frogs was put up during the Farm Fair held at the Aloha Stadium. Since Monday the Plant Pest Control Branch received between 15 and 20 calls of people spotting coqui frogs.

Matayoshi encourages people to call his office if they see a coqui frog in their area.

"There could be more because people are not reporting it," he said.

Army officials plan to address the nuisance along with other noise problems at a 7 p.m. meeting today at the Castle & Cooke sales office, 95-1091 Ainamakua Dr., Mililani.

Those who have seen coqui frogs in their neighborhood can call Oahu's Plant Pest Control Branch office at 973-9541.