Frogs are amphibians that are infamous for being super noisy during monsoons and rainfall.Amphibians are small animals that are capable of surviving on land as well as in the water. Other well-known amphibians include creatures like toads and salamanders.Frogs are the most popular and most commonly found amphibians in the world. Since frogs are more popular than other amphibians, you might easily confuse frogs with toads. Toads are a sub-group of frogs. This means all toads are frog species but all frog species are not toads. The scientific name is Anura. They are very common animals and are easily identifiable with their tiny body and the absence of tail. An average frog might fit in the palm of a human and enjoys munching on insects, making it a carnivore. They come in different colors and sizes, making them an attractive species to explore.If you enjoyed this, check out why do flies bite and why do ferrets stink on Kidadl.Why do frogs croak at different times of the day?While frogs croaking at night is a common phenomena, frogs across different species croak during different times of the day.As commonly noticed, croaking frogs are more active during the night than day. There is a good reasoning behind the time frogs decide to croak because croaking exposes the frogs to potential predators. During the night, its easier to remain safe while trying to attract females and successfully mate. Croaking in frogs is primarily used as a courtship behavior where male frogs call out for potential females. However, there are some exception across the different species. American bullfrogs and green frogs will call out during broad day light, but you can only hear the noise of the entire pond until nightfall. Some frogs do call exclusively during the day because they simply don’t need to invest their energy in night. Poison dart frogs, for example, will croak all day long without worrying about predators because these frogs are so poisonous that no predator would dare eat one of them.As you might have guessed, the calls of a frog are more than just mating calls. They are also territorial calls that demarcate a male frog’s territory against other male frogs. When a male frog is croaking, it leaves it exposed to predators however it the way in which male frogs send indirect signals to grab their chance to attract female frogs. Louder noises have a better chance of attracting females. There are different animal courtship behaviors for different animals in ecology. In the case of frogs, males are predominant at croaking while female frogs usually remain silent, as its the males who initiate breeding.How does rain affect frogs croaking?When thirsty frogs are embraced by rains, it provides the ideal conditions for some extra survival activity. It is of common knowledge that frogs are prone to lose moisture from their bodies pretty quickly. Rain helps them retain the moisture in their bodies more easily. While monsoons are related with facilitating the mating season for many other animals, frogs technically mate in the spring. Frogs croak when it rains as it is a facilitative season for active mating. Frogs croak after rain as it brings a warmer climate and increases the availability of food.The pineal gland in frogs and many other amphibians transmit this favorable environmental state into a hormonal message that encourages breeding. Rain brings optimal conditions for females to lay their eggs in ponds as these ponds are now filled with fresh water. A new water body is the best site to lay their eggs in. Since every frog species is adaptable as per the environment, it won’t make a difference if a large group of frogs and toads of several different species were in the same place as they will display similar behaviors.While the loud croaks of males not only a move to attract females, they also croak to ward off other males that might be a potential mate to the female frogs in the territory. In case of tree frogs for instance, each tree frog has a different croak from each other. This is how one tree frog distinguished itself from others in the same species, especially in case of a parent and baby frog.Additionally, croaks are alarm and distress calls for an individual frog to defend its territory or call for help. Another interesting detail to note is that frogs croak before a storm because they have an ability to sense the storm beforehand! Like many other creatures globally, frogs also have the gift of premonition to potential seasonal changes. Their croaking is popularly considered a symbol of incoming heavy rains.How and why do frogs croak in unison?In most frog species, only the males croak. If its due to breeding, the croaking will only involve an individual. The louder the sound of the croak, the better the chance a male frog has to attract a female frog. What is common between the two species is that both frogs and toads have vocal cords, as well as a vocal sac. The vocal chords are embedded within the vocal sac which works like an inflatable amplifier and the calls of some frogs can be heard up to 1 mi (1.6 km)!There is still a huge difference between individual and group croaking. If the vocalization turns out to be a group activity, it probably is a sight to behold! If a group of frogs are producing croaks in unison, there’s definitely something interesting happening behind the scenes. It is probably not just because frogs and toads suddenly decide to sing together one fine night. A male vocalizes to attract a female, however vocalization in chorus is not actually a part of the courtship behavior. Instead, they display unity against potential threats as the loud and exasperating sounds help to ward off any danger. Its interesting to note that toads might join in too! When it comes to survival, toads will not shy away either.While frogs might croak alone, they also croak in unison. Both of these types of croaks have different reasons. Croaking in unison is a common habit of frogs. Frogs have disk-shaped membranes that function as ears by vibrating and this passes sounds to the frog’s brain. They are visible if youlook really carefully. In case of toads though, there are bumpy scale like structures behind their ears which actually contain deadly poison! These substitute ’ears’ solve the twin purpose of aid and protection. Therefore, frogs and toads can hear and sense each other well.Can you stop frogs from croaking?Even though the whole science behind frog croaks is truly amazing to know about, these creatures definitely do not have the best melodies to soothe the ears of humans. The sound might get more unbearable if the frogs and toads decide to vocalize in unison. So, what can be done about it?The calls can go on for two to three months if it is mating season. In the most cases, frogs might not calm down for a couple of succeeding months or at least until they have found a mate to breed with. Additionally, there isn’t really an accurate way to predict the exact time when you could expect them to stop croaking. Male frogs are very likely to venture out and sing to their heart’s content. However, we do know that they won’t stop croaking until they have found a female partner to mate with and fertilize their eggs.The surroundings where you live plays an important role in dealing with the presence of frogs. While its not hard to guess that frogs are bound to occupy places with tiny pools of water, this is one of the most helpless situations you can face. You might try adjusting your surroundings for an instance. Getting rid of stagnant water puddles and keeping your surroundings hygienic might sound a logical hack, but unfortunately this might not apply to frogs who breed in freshly collected rain water.Methods like keeping the lights low to not attract insects or bleach and vinegar sprays might keep them away from your house, but they will continue to stick around elsewhere in the locality as the place is still surrounded by water. Unfortunately, you can displace but not dispose of them completely. The situation might become tougher for you if it is the breeding season, in which case the sound of frogs croaking is beyond the control of humans!Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for why do frogs croak then why not take a look at why do cows wear bells or banded rubber frog facts.
Frogs are amphibians that are infamous for being super noisy during monsoons and rainfall.
