It's spring and the joyous sounds of amphibians are ringing through the damp evening air! They're frogs! After a long hibernation under ground and below the frost line, frogs and other amphibians rise up after the first spring rainfall to begin searching for a mate This beautiful sound may make you wonder, "Which frog is that?" Here is a great web page with many common frog calls on it: http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/topics/frogCalls.html
Frogs that we hear in our backyard are:
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| Gray Treefrogs |
They sound like this: http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/resources/alan_wolf/hyla_gray_treefrog.wav
And also:
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| Spring Peepers |
They sound like this: http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/resources/alan_wolf/pseudacris_crucifer.wav
The life cycle of the amphibian is fascinating! Amphibians go through metamorphosis, which means they begin life with gills breathing dissolved oxygen under water like a fish, then form lungs and breathe air on land. They are one of the animal kingdom's great adapters! Being simple cold-blooded creatures, they must hibernate through the winter to survive the cold, as their body cannot create enough of it's own heat to keep vital organs functioning. Some desert amphibians must conserve water through droughts just as amphibians in cold climates must conserve their energy through the winter. These desert amphibians use estivation to survive these dry times.
Amphibians are amazing animals. Although they are simple organisms vulnerable to cold and drought, they survive in a wide range of climates and seasons all over the world through amazing adaptations! Read more about amphibian hibernation and estivation here: http://www.backyardnature.net/amph-hib.htm
