Question: Regarding coqui frogs (808ne.ws/3TImtDy), I live in Hawaii Kai and have seen little frogs outside my front door at night, but they don’t seem to be making noise. Should I report these?
Answer: You might be seeing greenhouse frogs, which are common on Oahu and most often mistaken for coqui frogs, according to the Oahu Invasive Species Committee. Information at oahuisc.org/species/coqui-frog, including photographs and recordings, can help you determine what type of frog you’re seeing and/or hearing. Although both are small and nocturnal, the coqui is larger, and its distinctive two-note call is much louder.
Here are some points of comparison, according to the OISC, which links to a side-by-side fact sheet with photos at 808ne.ws/4ehAnEY:
>> At up to nearly 2 inches long, coqui frogs are larger and rounder than greenhouse frogs, which are less than an inch long.
>> Coqui frogs have suctionlike toe pads, while greenhouse frogs have long, thin toes without distinct toe pads.
>> Coqui frogs have a smoother skin texture, while “greenhouse frogs have warty texture to their skin.” A greenhouse frog’s skin “is mottled with black spots with no mid-dorsal line down their back (coqui skin varies and mid-dorsal line is not always visible),” the website says.
>> Coqui have the well-known, high-pitched, two-note song (ko-KEE!), while the quieter call of a greenhouse frog sounds more like a cricket.
Greenhouse frogs are not a Hawaii quarantine pest and don’t need to be reported. Coqui frogs are; if you suspect you have coqui frogs, call 808-643-PEST (7378) or report online via 643pest.org.
As for the infestation you referenced, a company using drones has been hired to kill coqui frogs with a citric acid solution on about 13 acres of forest land below the summit of Kuliouou Ridge Trail, on the leeward side of the mountains, the state Department of Land and Natural Resources said Wednesday in a news release. A citizen alerted the state to the presence of coqui frogs at this higher elevation, about 220 yards below the summit, it said. “To date, the frogs have not been detected at lower elevations on the leeward side of the Koolau Mountains. Kuliouou residents and hikers on the Kuliouou Ridge Trail and Kuliouou Valley Trail are encouraged to listen for frog calls” and to report coqui accordingly, the DLNR said.
Q: What phone number do I call if I want to report a concern that is not among the specific problems listed on the city’s website, at www8.honolulu.gov/csd/report-a-concern?
A: You can call 808-768-4381 to report a problem or concern about a city service for which a direct contact is not listed on the website you mentioned, which belongs to Honolulu’s Department of Customer Services.
“Calls to that number are answered by a team of customer care professionals employed by the Department of Customer Services. All concerns fielded by the customer care team get referred to the appropriate city department or agency for a response; however, emails about concerns are highly encouraged for record-keeping and follow-up purposes. Concerns related to city services can be sent to the following email address: complaints@honolulu.gov,” said Harold Nedd, a spokesperson for the department.
Mahalo
On Wednesday at the Salt Lake McDonald’s, two West Oahu Aggregate young men noticed an elderly woman (88 years old) fall on the sidewalk outside of where they were having lunch. They stood up, went outside, helped her up, carried her items and returned her to a seat inside the restaurant. She had some bruises but was able to sit there to rest. Thank you to these two young men. — L.S.
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-500, Honolulu, HI 96813; call 808-529-4773; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
