Co-qui!

[Coconuts]

I stopped by the great room last night, and couldn't figure out what was causing a thwacking sound. I thought that it might have been a tree branch, but the breezes were mild. I went into the bathroom and looked out through the screen, thinking that maybe the water pump was involved. Something jumped from the door against the screen right next to me, making the thwack sound! Got it, living thing, investigate in the morning.

I awoke and went to make coffee, only to find a warning note from Danielle on the coffee maker: "Frog in great room toilet!!". What I had assumed to have been a lizard turned out to be a frog all right, a tree frog no less, and a pretty good-sized one. This would have been one of the really loud ones.

The mind boggles at the thought of some of the possible outcomes. When you leave the doors open in the tropics, nature can and sometimes does wander in...

In coaxing him out of the toilet, he leapt onto the glass window, where his sticky pads weren't quite sticky enough to prevent him from slowly sliding downwards (glass wasn't around during tree frog evolution). He must have become concerned, and leapt onto me. He seemed very content on my arm, and for the next ten minutes he and I were buds, photo below. He then leapt off onto the deck, and the next time I looked he was gone.

Tree frog

All the best,

Kevin

[Kevino]

Kev, I thought you were going to tell us you bought another Villa!

[Barb Y]

He is adorable!

[mbw1024]

Too funny!

[Myheart'sinSTJ]

Oh my goodness how cute is he

[Bonny in CA]

Although I have heard them (by the billions!) at night, I haven't actually SEEN a frog on St. John yet! Maybe this guy will hang around awhile...

[seagrape]

I am pretty sure that this is a toad. They were accidentally imported from Puerto Rico. They spray a toxic liquid from their bodies when they feel threatened. They get up under shutters and make a pretty nasty mess. I've had one leering at me in the outdoor shower! Another experience I had was when I was sitting on our porch swing at night, talking on the phone. I thought my husband had put his open palm on my head. I didn't think anything of it until I turned my head and a toad launched itself from the top of my head over the porch railing! I'll never forget it. Funny as hell.

[Coconuts]

He looked identical to this guy, who we caught one night a few years ago as he was singing loudly, only larger, so I still think he was a tree frog. Smooth moist skin as well, where toads are rougher and drier.

Tree frog caught in the act

All the best,

Kevin

[seagrape]

Thanks for showing the other picture. Yep, frog. Love the songs, especially after a fresh rain!

[GraysonDave]

Ha, that is one contented-looking frog. Great pic!

[Exit Zero]

Coqui frogs are very small - about the size of a quarter -- click link for pic.

http://www.hawaiiinvasivespecies.org/po ... coqui1.jpg

[Coconuts]

There are 17 species of coqui, which can be as large as 80 mm long (a tad over three inches). There are also a number of other loud tree frogs in the wider genus, Eleutherodactylus, which can be considerably larger. All have the disc-shaped suction cup toes visible in both of my posted photos.

http://www.topuertorico.org/coqui.shtml

All the best,

Kevin