Molecular Ecology (2009) 18, 3603–3615

The Coqui frog, native to Puerto Rico, is considered invasive in the Hawaiian Islands due to a loud mating call, which surpasses levels decided fit for the ‘enjoyment of life.’ Research and experiments on Coqui frogs suggest that reduced   genetic variation in the species does not negatively affect its invasion success.

Mary M. Peacock of the University of Nevada and her colleagues at Utah State University and the University of Georgia studied multiple populations in Puerto Rico and Hawaii. They determined that gene diversity and color pattern diversity were significantly higher in Puerto Rico than in the invaded regions of Hawaii. Allele counts in invaded areas were recorded at as much as half the number found in native Puerto Rico. Further, only two color patterns were found in Hawaii while five are known in Puerto Rico. The researchers also used their data to assert that their findings support a theory of two different introductions of the frogs in the invaded regions.