From a revving motorcycle to a grunting pig: eight great sounds made by frogs

More than 7,000 species of frogs jump, climb and perch across our world, meaning more than 7,000 unique frog sounds permeate our air.

“The diversity of frog sounds is difficult to overestimate,” says Mark Scherza herpetologist at the Natural History Museum of Denmark. “They come in all kinds of sounds, from sounds that sound like dogs barking, to fire alarms, to whistles, bangs and cracks.”

Frogs call by pass air over their vocal cordsjust like humans, and can amplify the sound with a vocal bag that makes the sound resonate. Frogs usually call to attract mates, but they may also make sounds to warn others of their territory, or to express fear or anxiety.

Why do frogs sound so different from each other? Maybe adapt to different environmentsto ensure that sound is best conveyed in their specific environment. Because so many frog calls occur in the context of communication with potential mates, the types of calls female frogs prefer may change how male frogs call over time. Many frogs also have different types of vocal sacs, of which there are many formssizes and colors, and can amplify frog sounds in different ways.

We called herpetologists and scoured scientific studies to find some of the most interesting frog sounds in nature. Read on and listen to the collected audio clips to get an idea of ​​how amazing frogs are.

Clear-eyed frogs (Boophis spp.) can sound like science fiction technology

Seven new species recently identified in Madagascar, all belonging to the Boophis gender, making whistling sounds that reminded researchers of the science fiction series “Star Trek.” That’s why they named the species after characters from ‘Star Trek’: Kirk, Picard, Sisko, Janeway, Archer, Burnham and Pike.

For decades, these frogs were all thought to be one species Boophis marojezensisbecause they look virtually identical, says Scherz, one of the authors of the October paper. But by analyzing their sounds, the research team was able to identify seven different species with unique vocal patterns B. marojezensis.

The researchers compared the sounds with the boatswain’s whistle and the tricorder device from Star Trek. The frogs make these sounds as ‘advertising calls’: to a male frog to convey information about his availability and suitability as a mate for female frogs.

These frogs live along fast-flowing streams in mountainous areas of Madagascar, and with such loud background noise, their calls can be especially high-pitched, so they can be heard by other frogs above the sound of the water, Scherz said.

Desert rain frogs (Breviceps macrops) squeak like a dog toy

The world’s cutest frog – Desert Rain Frog

This species, which has been named the world’s cutest frogcan only be found on a narrow strip desert area from South Africa to Namibia. This frog is a nocturnal animal and usually buries itself in the sand during the day. At night it emerges to collect moisture from the surrounding mist. The desert rain frog has a transparent piece of skin on its belly so you can view the inside. And his squeak is extremely cute.

“They are small animals, they live in a big, dark world and communicate at night,” says Jessie Tannera herpetologist at the University of Tennessee. “These signals, one of their main functions is to identify suitable partners and also find them in space.”

Green frogs (Lithobates clamitans) and Australian banjo frogs (Limnodynastes spp.) twang like banjo strings

A pobblebonk in Australia

Auscape/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Green frogs, also called banjo frogs, have a sharp twang call that has been likened to the popping sound of a loose banjo string. Green frogs live throughout the eastern United States and, despite their name, can range in color from predominantly green to more brownish and bronze.

Eastern Banjo Frog, or Pobblebonk.

Another type of banjo frog also lives in Australia: four species belonging to the genus Limnodynastesincluding the western banjo frog, giant banjo frog and northern banjo frog. They are also called ‘pobblebonks’, referring to the sound they make. People say it sounds like a “thump,” according to Tanner, who likens it to a bit of plunking.

Pig frogs (Lithobates grylio) grunt like pigs

See – hear. . . the pig frog croaks! 🙂

Pig frogs live mainly in swamps in the southeastern US, the Bahamas and Puerto Rico. They resemble American bullfrogs and are of the same genus. Hog frogs are nocturnal and are most active during the warmest months of the year.

Pig frogs are named after them low growling soundwhich sounds like the ‘oink’ of a pig. They usually call to attract female frogs, and they call in a chorus of 1 to 13 short, loud grunts, which sometimes together sound like a roar.

When male frogs call to mate with female frogs, they are not only communicating where they are, but also providing information about their suitability as a mate, Tanner says. Male frog calls can tell female frogs about the caller’s species, health, stamina and even genetic compatibility.

Bird-voiced tree frogs (Hyla avivoc) call like birds

Bird-voiced tree frog (Hyla avivoca)

Tree frogs with bird voice are mainly found in the southeastern US, especially in states bordering the Mississippi River. They thrive in swamps in temperate forests, and like to perch in trees slightly above the water’s surface.

Their call sounds like a bird, a series of rapidly repeated high-pitched sounds, which some compare to the sound of a pileated woodpecker.

The females of this species prefer longer, higher pitched sounds from potential mates. Male bird-voiced tree frogs use a calling technique when competing with other males, each frog changes its call slightly so that their frequencies do not overlap. This way they can integrate into a chorus with each other’s calls, but individual calls can still be distinguished by women listening.

Carpenter Frogs (Lithobates virgatipes) sounds like hammering

A carpenter frog in northern Florida

MH Herpetology via Wikipedia under CC By-SA 4.0

Carpenter frogs live in coastal plains along the east coast of the US. Males are very territorial and defend their kingdom against other males by wrestling and calling.

Carpenter Frog

These frogs make an explosive”dad tank‘ sound, repeated up to ten timeswhich sounds like a hammer. A chorus of carpenter frogs sounds like a construction crew building a house.

Researchers have identified several sounds that these male frogs make: they have specific sounds for attracting females, for aggressive or territorial communication with other males, and for alerting another male that the caller has been accidentally taken for mating.

Motor frogs (Litoria Moorei) revs like motorcycles

Motorcycle frog Litoria Moorei calls

Motor frogs are common in southwestern Australia. This frog gets its name from its mating call, which sounds like a motorcycle changing gear.

“They make a really cool amplitude and frequency modulated sound… and it sounds like a motorcycle accelerating,” says Tanner. “If you’re not familiar with the wildlife of Western Australia, you’ll confuse it with that.”

The loud sound helps the frogs communicate with potential mates, but other animals can also listen in and take advantage of the advertisement. “Many predators pay attention to these calls,” he says Ximena Bernalan ecologist at Purdue University. “Here’s a meal that says, ‘Here I am! Here I am!’” But Bernal says frogs’ need to attract mates may outweigh their concern for predators.

Sheep frogs (Hypopachus variolosus) bleat like sheep

A sheep frog in Costa Rica

Pstevendactylus~commonswiki via Wikipedia / Public Domain

Sheep frogs are found throughout Central America and Mexico. They like to dig and usually eat ants and termites. They have a nasal, piercing call, which sounds like the bleating of a sheep.

Sheep frog, Hypopachus variolosus

Although sheep frogs are common and so is their population generally considered stablethey are threatened in some regions, mainly due to habitat fragmentation and loss due to agriculture and urban expansion.

These types of threats to frogs are increasing, by approx 200 frog species are becoming extinct since the 1970s. For this reason, we shouldn’t take the diversity of frog sounds for granted, says Bernal. Amphibians are now the most endangered vertebrate group in the world, with 40 percent of the species globally threatened. “Frogs are having a very difficult time,” says Bernal. “And we lose an entire orchestra of sounds.”

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Filed Under: Animals, Environment, Frogs, Nature, Sound recordings, Weird animals, Wildlife