Frogs of the Virgin Islands

This frog is the most abundant and widespread across the Virgin Islands. Distinguished from the other frogs by its red eyes and blotchy back legs, this frog has an easily recognizable call. They can be found in trees and shrubs across most habitats, where males defend their territories and attract females by calling from hidden locations.

This frog is found in drier areas of the islands, and is absent from St. Croix. It's a tiny frog, only about an inch long, and it is typically found either higher in the forest canopy (tops of trees) or deep in plants that store water, like bromeliads. Its call is a single long whistle sometimes followed by several clicks.

This frog is endemic to the Virgin Islands, meaning it only occurs naturally in the Virgin Islands. Unlike its relatives above, this frog is terrestrial, meaning it spends its time on the ground rather than in trees, commonly associated with moist areas (even around artificial water sources such as air conditioners and cistern overflows). Also known as the "Mute Frog", this frog calls sporadically in sound gaps, when other frogs are silent. The call is a soft click.

This frog is endemic to the British Virgin Islands, although it once was also found on St John and St Thomas. It is similar to the Puerto Rican coqui in habitat and behavior, making survey for this species complicated because the calls of the two species are indistinguishable by ear.

This is our largest native frog, although still small at only 2 inches. It is found only near reliable water sources and in ditches where water collects. Males call from inside crevices or under rocks; their call is a series of chirps: "pink-pink-pink,,,", almost like a glass repeatedly tapped.

This frog is native (and in decline) in Puerto Rico, but is not native to the Virgin Islands. It was introduced in the last century through the importation of landscaping plants. The call of this frog is the classic coqui song: this is the "ko-kee" that is so familiar. This frog is an effective competitor and limited data on species distributions suggests that it is displacing the native frogs.

This large non-native frog is easily distinguished from the native frogs by its size. Females are about the size of a human palm, while males are much smaller, about the size of a thumb. Males attract females with a loud croak that sounds almost like a rusty gate. Males are highly territorial and will guard and advertise a suitable breeding site.

This is a massive toad, with some individuals reaching the size of a softball. Native to the Amazon basin in South America, it was introduced throughout the Caribbean as a control for agricultural pests. This toad has large glands that produce a highly toxic secretion that can quickly kill potential predators (such as dogs). They require reliable water sources for breeding, and can be found near streams and ponds. Their call is a shrill "burrrrrrrrrrr".