POSTED: 08:40 a.m. HST, Sep 12, 2012
LAST UPDATED: 08:42 a.m. HST, Sep 12, 2012
The Oahu Invasive Species Committee is asking Oahu residents to participate tonight in “Go Out and Listen Night!” to help listen for invasive coqui frogs and report if they hear coqui frogs in their area or not.
Twenty coqui frogs have been captured on Oahu since the beginning of 2012, the committee said.
The frogs are known for their sharp “ko-Kee” calls. There are no established populations of coqui frogs on Oahu, but they continue to “hitchhike” to the island in shipments from the Big Island.
The Oahu Invasive Species Committee is asking residents with smartphones to go outside tonight between 7:30 and 8 p.m., listen for 15 minutes for the signature “ko-KEE” call of the coqui frog, and report what they heard using the free “Honolulu 311” smartphone app. The group is asking residents to report if they did or did not hear a coqui frog in their area.
Details on how to participate, what a coqui frog sounds and looks like, and step by step instructions on how to use the “Honolulu 311” app can be found at www.coqui311.blogspot.com.
Residents without a smartphone can report coqui frogs by emailing the Oahu Invasive Species Committee at firstname.lastname@example.org or by calling the State Pest Hotline, 643-PEST (643-7378).