CR

Plains Coqui

Eleutherodactylus juanariveroi

Declining

Overview

Eleutherodactylus juanariveroi, the Plains coquí or Puerto Rican wetland frog, is an endangered species of coquí, a frog species, endemic to Puerto Rico. It was discovered in 2005 by Neftalí Ríos-López, and was named after Puerto Rican herpetologist Juan A. Rivero, in honor of his contributions to Puerto Rican herpetology.

Eleutherodactylus juanariveroi faces severe threats from habitat destruction due to urban development and agricultural expansion in its extremely limited range in Puerto Rico. The species is particularly vulnerable to climate change impacts, including altered precipitation patterns and increased hurricane intensity, which can devastate its specialized microhabitat requirements. Invasive species, particularly the coquí común (Eleutherodactylus coqui), pose additional competitive pressure in its remaining forest fragments.

Threat summary

Habitat

This endemic Puerto Rican frog inhabits moist limestone forests and coffee plantations in the central mountainous regions, particularly favoring areas with dense leaf litter and limestone karst formations. The species requires specific microhabitat conditions including high humidity levels and stable temperatures found in undisturbed forest understory.

Marine coastal/supratidal· majorWetlands (inland)· majorWetlands (inland) - Bogs, marshes, swamps, fens· major

Conservation measures underway

Site/area protectionHabitat & natural process restorationSpecies managementSpecies recoverySpecies reintroductionEx-situ conservationAwareness & communicationsPolicies and regulationsCompliance and enforcement

Other threatened species in ELEUTHERODACTYLIDAE

Oriente Yellow-mottled FrogVU

Oriente Yellow-mottled Frog

Eleutherodactylus ricordii

Declining
Eleutherodactylus manantlanensisCR

Eleutherodactylus manantlanensis

Unknown
Eleutherodactylus amadeusCR

Eleutherodactylus amadeus

Declining
CR

Haitian Marshfrog

Eleutherodactylus caribe

Declining

Threatened in Puerto Rico

EN

Leptocereus quadricostatus

Declining
Humped BladderwortCR

Humped Bladderwort

Utricularia gibba

Unknown
VU

Broadstripe Goby

Elacatinus prochilos

Unknown
Blind SnailVU

Blind Snail

Cecilioides acicula

Unknown

Frequently asked questions

Why is Plains Coqui classified as Critically Endangered?
Plains Coqui is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. Eleutherodactylus juanariveroi faces severe threats from habitat destruction due to urban development and agricultural expansion in its extremely limited range in Puerto Rico. The species is particularly vulnerable to climate change impacts, including altered precipitation patterns and increased hurricane intensity, which can devastate its specialized microhabitat requirements. Invasive species, particularly the coquí común (Eleutherodactylus coqui), pose additional competitive pressure in its remaining forest fragments.
Where does Plains Coqui live?
Plains Coqui occurs in Puerto Rico. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Plains Coqui?
The main threats to Plains Coqui are 1.1, 11.1, 11.2, and 11.4. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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