Tiny Chorus Frogs Belt Out Songs Like Nobody’s Listening

If you’ve ever heard mysterious, loud singing outside in late winter through early spring, you might’ve unknowingly attended a concert starring chorus frogs!

Chorus frogs, a group of 17 species found only in North America, have some of the loudest songs of any frog species. Some are as loud as a police siren! Males sing to attract females and to warn other males to stay away from their territory, and each species produces its own individual melody. And when they really get going — often when the weather starts to warm up — the noise can be like nature’s version of a rock concert.

Listen to the “prreep” sound of chorus frogs:

OPENING ACT

As spring weather arrives, male chorus frogs sing day and night. They might vocalize dozens of times a minute — often too fast to count — and some of the tunes can be heard up to a half mile away. That’s some pretty good crooning!

Chorus frogs’ impressive range is thanks to their inflatable throat sacs. These balloon-like body parts help push out sound louder and farther, sort of like a built-in drum.

The females listen for the “best” singer to mate with. The most talented vocalists are chosen, and these seem to be the males who sing the longest and most often.

CENTER STAGE

Although most adult chorus frogs live in woodlands or other land habitats, males often gather in shallow ponds and wetlands to sing in large groups (you know … like a chorus). The concert’s location actually helps the female once she’s selected her mate.

Males choose still or slow-moving water without fish or other aquatic predators as chorus sites, which gives eggs and tadpoles the best chances for survival. Frogs don’t hatch fully formed from the females’ eggs. Tadpoles do, and they thrive in the safe, protected waters of wetlands and ponds while they undergo metamorphosis, or the process of going through major physical changes as an animal becomes an adult, like when a caterpillar becomes a butterfly.

ENCORE

Chorus frogs and other amphibians are indicator species, meaning their healthy populations signal a healthy environment (and vice versa). They breathe and drink through their skin — a trait called “permeable” — so it’s important that their habitat isn’t polluted with chemicals and other contaminants.

And you can help keep wetlands and waterways clean. Check out Scouting for Clean Waterways for ideas that will keep these hoppers singing for years to come!

5 Cool Chorus Frog Facts!

1. CHORUS FROGS are in the genus Pseudacris, which means “false locust,” referring to their insect-like vocalizations.

2. Unlike most tree frogs, CHORUS FROGS DON’T HAVE WELL-DEVELOPED TOEPADS and spend most of their life on or near the ground … except the Pacific chorus frog! It uses suction-like toepads to climb vegetation and hunt insects and spiders.

3. The spring peeper, the boreal chorus frog and a few other chorus species FREEZE SOLID IN WINTER! To help conserve energy in freezing temperatures, these hoppers stop their breathing and heartbeat, using stored glucose (a type of sugar) as a natural antifreeze. THEY “MELT” BACK TO LIFE IN SPRING.

4. At less than an inch long, a chorus species called the little grass frog is the smallest frog in North America. Its tiny size and coloration help it hide on grass stems.

5. The largest chorus frog, the Illinois chorus frog, can be nearly 2 inches long. It uses its strong front limbs to dig underground burrows where it lives.

Photographs: Getty Images, Ocean Fleskes, Bruce Moffat, Anthony Damiani; Audio: Sounddogs/Envato