Reptile & Amphibian Forums

ive recently seen a news article about Hawaii's plan to exterminate the coquis b/c they fear the innocent frogs' croaks will hurt tourism! these frogs will be killed if these actions take place! please all help to save the coquis in any way possible! please post any means you find to help. as for now, please visit this website and voice your opinion! SAVE THE FROGS!
http://www.hawaiiancoqui.org/whatyoucando.htm

How could people be so callous about life that they'd kill frogs to increase tourism? How would they like it if frogs killed them because people are bulldozing the frogs' homes?
I sent them an email! Grrr!
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0.1.0 Normal Leopard Gecko: Mala Ala
2.1.0 White's Tree Frogs: Wabo, Chabo, and Mushu
0.1.0 Bearded Dragon: Igor
5.0.0 Betas: Ghost, Fruity, Misty, Assasin, and Cobalt

Not that I necessarily agree with idea of erraticating innocent animals but you need to consider that these are NOT Hawaiian coqui. They are the specie that is from Puerto Rico and accidently introduced from Bromeliad shipments.

I was on Maui and heard them going off one night. You could not even speak to the person standing right next to because the noise was sooo deafening.

They are spraying with Caffeine in an effort to eliminate them. It is rather harsh but I think the most they will do is bring down the number of animals.

You also have to consider that having such a population explosion of non native species on the islands can harm native wildlife in long run.

This has happened all too frequently in Hawaii with disasterous results.

It's not their fault they were accidently introduced and had a population explosion but is it fair to other animals that inhabit these islands? It's not their fault that they are there either. (The heck with the tourists)

I also did not mention that I do think it is very irresponsible to go spraying things (like caffeine) into the environment. The long term result could also be harmful to any of the native species on the islands. (however few their are).

I think they do have to figure out a more natural way of controlling the populations.

There have been many things that have gone off the charts in Hawaii when trying to limit populations of animals (even naturally). They introduced mongoose I believe to quell the rat populations and the mongoose instead helped themselves to native birds and their eggs.

The Marine toad was brought in and now it too is everywhere and eats anything that fits in it's mouth.

I guess the solution would be to erradicate anything coming in on shipments BEFORE it gets to Islands.

Whether you agree to kill them or not you have to agree that Poison is NOT a good option.

I agree that introduced species are horribly devastating. Just look what pigs and cats have done in Australia, snails have done in the US, and the list goes on. The problem is that people need to stop introducing animals to foreign environments, whether by accident as stowaways, or purposefully to try and eliminate a native pest.

Maybe if these frogs can be eaten and then Hawaii's gov't can give out licenses to hunt them for food. That way their deaths would serve a purpose. It is wanton killing and destruction, especially through poisons and other methods that will have reverberations throughout the ecosystem, that I am opposed to.

I guess we'll see what happens...
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0.1.0 Normal Leopard Gecko: Mala Ala
2.1.0 White's Tree Frogs: Wabo, Chabo, and Mushu
0.1.0 Bearded Dragon: Igor
5.0.0 Betas: Ghost, Fruity, Misty, Assasin, and Cobalt

LOL!! That'd be a great idea if they were big enough to eat. (not even sure if they are edible). They're just tiny little things. I imagine you would 100% to make a meal out of them.

im aware that these little coquis are not natural to Hawaii... however, as in the website that i provided, i hope they we can do something for them alternative to killing them, such as shipping them back to puerto rico, if that is realistic, or perhaps providing them to be sold as pets, if that is realistic also. if you think of it in a humane way, killing the frogs is not right, theyre just trying to live.

im aware that these little coquis are not natural to Hawaii... however, as in the website that i provided, i hope they we can do something for them alternative to killing them, such as shipping them back to puerto rico, if that is realistic,

>This is not realistic for several reasons. First it would not eliminate them from Hawaii. Second you cannot reintroduce them to their native environment because they could be carrying certain pathogens that might harm the existing poputlation of their native country. Lastly, all the red tape involved would make it a disaster. Oh and not to mention how many will die in the process of being shipped.<

or perhaps providing them to be sold as pets, if that is realistic also. if you think of it in a humane way, killing the frogs is not right, theyre just trying to live.

>This again would not be a realistic idea. Harvesting them for the pet trade would work to keep numbers down but is it really the answer? How many would die from handling? How many would go from a free existence to people who would mistreat them and as a result die a lingering death. Is that more humane than what they are trying to do to them. I think not.

Is it humane to let the other animals that belong there suffer because these frogs are just trying to live? Again -- I think not. I know you're thinking with your heart and I completely understand that your thoughts are for these innocent animals (who through no fault of their own) have been introduced into a paradise where they can reproduce in epidemic proportions. You still have to look at the bigger picture though if you really want to be humane. It is more than just millions of cute little noisey frogs that have to be considered.

So reducing their population may be humane to the other creatures that live there. What they need to do is find a humane and less harmful way of doing it.