Little Frogs, Big Feelings in Puerto Rico.
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In Puerto Rico, a tiny frog called the coquí makes a loud sound at night that many Puerto Ricans love. The sound goes “coh-KEE” and is heard almost everywhere on the island. It is so special that people call it the music of Puerto Rican identity.
But recently, a tourist wrote on Reddit asking if there was a spray to make the frogs “quiet”. The post upset many people. It was later deleted, but not before it went viral online. Puerto Ricans and others who care about nature started sharing videos and posts to protect the frogs. Some said that if tourists don’t like the sound, they should not visit Puerto Rico.
A biology professor, Alejandro Ríos-Franceschi, said that before this post, he had never heard of anyone trying to harm the frogs in Puerto Rico. He said the coquí is an important part of life and nature on the island. There are 17 kinds of coquí frogs, and most live only in Puerto Rico. The frogs are small and brown. The males make two sounds: “co” to warn other males and “qui” to attract females.
The coquí is protected by U.S. wildlife laws, and hurting them can bring serious punishment. Some species are endangered. Also, using chemicals to kill the frogs could poison the water and hurt other animals.
People understand that the noise might bother some tourists, but that does not mean it’s okay to harm the frogs. For Puerto Ricans, the coquí is not just a sound. It is part of who they are.
