<P> Common coquís are native to the islands of Puerto Rico, Vieques and Culebra, where they are widespread and abundant; the only notable exception occurs in Puerto Rican dry forests, where the species is rarer . The common coquí is the most abundant frog in Puerto Rico, with densities estimated at 20,000 individuals / ha . Densities fluctuate depending on the season and habitat . Generally, densities are higher during the latter half of the wet season and decrease during the dry season . The species is considered a habitat generalist, occurring in a wide range of habitats, including mesic broadleaf forests, mountains, and urban areas, found in bromeliads, tree holes, and under trunks, rocks or trash . Since the species does not require bodies of water to reproduce, they can be found on most altitudes, provided sufficient moisture is available . In Puerto Rico, they are found from sea level to a maximum of 1,200 m (3,900 ft). Adults generally tend to be found at higher altitudes than juveniles . </P> <P> The common coquís are often found in cohabitation with humans . Because of their unrestricted habitat use, it's common that E. coquí can be found in homes and parks . E. coquí are found in natural habitats including the human mountain forest at elevations less than 1,200 meters and in the dry forest . They are found specifically within the under story of forests at all elevations up to the canopy . </P> <P> The species has been introduced to the Virgin Islands, the Dominican Republic, Florida, and Hawaii, where it has become a densely populated invasive species . It was accidentally introduced to the Hawaiian Islands in the late 1980s, most likely as a stowaway on potted plants, and quickly established itself on all four major islands . It is now considered a pest species by the State of Hawaii, and is on the list of the world's 100 worst invasive alien species . As an invasive species, it can reach up to 91,000 individuals / ha . Higher densities in its invaded range are likely bolstered by a release from native predators, lack of interspecific competitors, and abundant food availability . In Hawaii, they have been found at a maximum of 1,170 m (3,840 ft) above sea level . </P> <P> In areas that exceed rates of common coquís greater than 51,000 could consume over 300,000 invertebrates per night . Because of the immense amount of the species, Hawaii has begun to have concerns about both economic and ecological impacts . The common coquí currently costs this state nearly 3 million dollars a year and this spread has been commonly through nursery trades . As a result, many people are reluctant to buy plants from these nurseries due to the risk of infestation, so they began to perform quarantines and de-infestations in order to improve the economy . There has also been an effect in realty because the species have moved from public to residential land causing many to refrain from buying houses where the common coquís have infested . </P>

Why is the coqui a symbol of puerto rico