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Frogs and Toads Native to Hawaii

The Hawaiian Islands have no native frogs, but a few frogs and one toad, have been introduced to this state for the purpose of insect control. Others arrived as pets or imports for the purpose of selling to pet owners. Because the salt water is too sensitive for the skin of amphibians, Hawaii and most oceanic islands have few amphibian fauna. The salt water issues have not, however, kept all of these foreign frogs from thriving on the islands to which they were introduced.

Bufonidae
- Toads are a type of frog with warty skin, stubby bodies and shorter hind legs. They walk rather than hop. The cane toad is a true giant among frogs reaching sizes of 4 to 9 1/2 inches in length. It's coloring is brown to yellow brown. The toad, also known as the giant marine toad, and the South American cane toad were introduced to the Hawaiian Islands in the mid 20th century to aid in insect control. This toad is highly poisonous secreting a poison through the paratoid glands which run along both sides of its body. The secretion contains bufotoxins, digitalis-like chemicals similar to digoxin and may cause ventricular fibrillation. Dogs who bite this toad can die after biting the cane toad.
Dendrobatidae
- The green and black poison dart frog, or arrow frog, is a member of the Dendrobatidae family introduced to Manoa Valley in 1932 for the purpose of mosquito control and can still be found in this area. They spend little time in the water but do require a moist terrestrial environment to survive, so they're found near small ponds and streams. They are metallic green or brownish black and adults grow to about 1 1/2 inches. Their name derives from the fact that tribes from their native Central and South America used them as a source for poison to add to the tips of arrows.
Leptodactylidae
- Two coquis, the common coqui and the greenhouse frog, were introduced to Hawaii. These are tree frogs. The gray-brown common coqui is about 2inches in length, and the greenhouse frog is mottled and brown and tan and grows to about 1 1/2 inches. Originally from Puerto Rico, they came as accidental tourists riding on plants from the Caribbean but have adapted well to life in Hawaii. Unfortunately, with no natural predators in Hawaii, they pose a danger of the native birds with which they compete for insects.
Ranidae
- The bullfrog, the largest frog in the U.S.. and the wrinkled frog are true frogs and members of the family Ranidae. The bullfrog, olive green in color, can reach nearly 7 inches long and lives in slower moving waters in the flats. The wrinkled frog, so named because of it's ridged for wrinkled skin, is dark to gray brown and small, about 2 inches. It thrives in the upland watersheds along trails. Both frogs are found on the main island.

Animals & Science