Notes from the Land: The Music Festival of Frogs

Notes from the Land: The Music Festival of Frogs

Frogs, frogs.
I love frogs.
Hopping, plopping leaping frogs.
I love frogs!
Frogs, frogs.
I love frogs.
Croaking, quacking, peeping frogs.
I love frogs!
Christie Wyman 2018

The passage into spring

There is certainty in the passing of the seasons. We know that winter cold will give way to spring sun, spring sun to summer warmth, summer warmth to the cool air of autumn, the cool air of autumn to the winter cold again. For many, these changes are welcome, but maybe none so welcome as the turnover from the snow and cold of winter to the green and warm of spring. We relish these changing days. We put our faces to the sun and wallow in the extra hours of daylight. We pause, we breathe, we listen….

And then the frogs…

It begins without warning. As the ice begins to melt around the pond, a thin moat of water begins to form. The strengthening sunlight warms the shallow depths.

Late in the day sounds begin to filter through the air. They are not quite bird like and yet…one wonders. It is a chorus of many tones and rhythms. As darkness descends the sounds grow louder and soon the chorus fills the night. Spring has sprung! The frogs are singing!

The first trio of songsters are the Wood Frog, Chorus Frog and Spring Peeper. The warming soil and extended day length have signaled that it is time to wake up and make the trek to the pond for the annual breeding season. They each heed the call from their winter slumber spots under logs or leaf litter and begin to hop and leap to their wet destination. Water temperatures need to be at least 50 degrees for this tiny trio of amphibians to start singing, and sing they do! The wood frog makes a quacking sound that will make you think there are ducks around! Chorus frogs make a churring sound, as if you are running your fingers over the teeth of a comb. Spring peepers are unmistakable with their loud and incessant “Peep, Peep, Peep.”

These little wonders make their way once a year, in the spring, from woodlands surrounding the ponds. The males stake out a territory in the water and sing loudly with their advertisement calls to attract a female. Once the frogs have mated and eggs are laid all three species head back to the woodlands to live out the summer and fall. Wood frogs hang out on the forest floor, eating insects, slugs, spiders and snails. Spring peepers and chorus frogs, being tree frogs, climb up in the trees and consume flies, crickets, ants, spiders and other insects.

The music festival of frogs and toads at Belwin can begin as early as late March and will continue into late June and early July. The progression includes the trilling sound of the American toad in May, grey treefrogs with their melodious warble, pick it up in late May and early June. The final act is that of the green frog and its broken banjo string song into the first part of July.

If you want an experience that is completely delightful, get yourself to the nearest wetland or pond at sunset or later and get comfortable. Just like listening to any fine musical offering be it orchestra or band, the vibrations of the frog chorus will transport you to a place of joy and peace and the knowledge that in this moment, all is well, and spring has, in fact, arrived.

Here are a few things to know about Frogs!

What do they eat?

• Tadpoles are strictly vegetarians eating lots of algae and plant material.
• Adult frogs are insectivores and eat beetles, spiders, snails, worms, millepedes and more!
• Frogs are a critical piece of the food web and become food for herons, racoons, snakes, otter, crayfish and many other critters.

Where do they live?

• Depending on the specie, frogs and toads can be found in many habitats at Belwin Conservancy. Ponds, prairies, woodlands…look for them everywhere!

Pest control!

• Frogs are important for pest control as they eat many of the insects that cause irritation to humans and other animals.

Bio-indicators!

• Frogs can alert us to toxic conditions in waterways just like the canary in the coal mine. Their skin is permeable which allows pollutants or toxins to pass through and affect their health.

Special adaptations!

• Frogs have excellent night vision and are very sensitive to movement. The placement of their eyes on the very top of their heads allows them to see to the front, sides and partially to the back.

How long do they live?

• In the wild it is assumed that most frogs can live up to 5 years.

Important message! Watch out for amphibians on spring rainy nights!

• Frogs and toads must travel in the spring to get to their breeding ponds.
• They are prone to move on warm, rainy nights and migrate across whatever landscape there is to get to their pond, which includes roads.
• Please be cautious and aware if you are driving near a pond or wetland during the breeding season.
• Consider an alternate route away from smaller, wooded roads if possible.
• Drive slowly and allow the frogs to move out of your way if you spot them.

Photo Credits: Wood Frog: The Cosmonaut, CC BY-SA 2.5 CA, via Wikimedia Commons. Spring Peeper: Peter Paplanus, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Chorus Frog: MH Herpetology, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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