The Calls of Frogs and Toads
by Lang Elliott, NatureSound Studio

Learn the sounds of 42 species of frogs and toads native to eastern and central North America with this unique 65-minute audio guide and accompanying booklet. Part one is a reference guide to the calls of every species. Arranged by taxonomic family and grouped by similarity of sounds, each species is introduced by name followed by a sample of its calls. Part two is a narrated introduction featuring examples of advertisement calls, aggressive calls, release calls, rain calls, distress calls warning calls, hybrid calls, countersinging, mixed species choruses, and more. The illustrated 48-page booklet provided detailed description of the calls of each species along with physical characteristics, life history, and breeding information.

65-minute audio with 48-page booklet
Cassette version suggested retail: $12.95
Compact Disc version suggested retail: $16.95

See below for ordering information and list of species.

Below is a RealAudio soundfile optimized for 28.8 modems. To play this file, you will need a recent version of the RealPlayer.

Spring Peeper (RealAudio segment from guide + booklet text)

Notes: Grows to about 1.5" long. Scientific name crucifer refers to crucifix-like "X" on back. Widespread and abundant throughout the eastern half of the United States and southern Canada (but absent from southern Florida). Frequents wooded or brushy areas. Not often seen outside the breeding season when it looks for insects in shrubs, trees, or on the ground.

Voice: Advertisement call of male is a series of sharp, piercing bird-like peeps repeated about once per second or faster (but never as fast as calls of Bird-voiced Treefrog). Distant chorus may sound like tinkling of sleigh bells. Breeds in pools, ditches, and ponds, from spring to early summer in North and from winter to spring in South. Aggressive call is a short, stuttering trill, purrreeeek, usually rising in pitch at the end. Rain call, given periodically from trees and shrubs in summer and autumn, is a repeated series of peeps or squeaks that are harsher and more dissonant than sprintime advertisement calls.

The Recordings:

1. Advertisement call: 4/21/87; Tompkins Co., N.Y.; Lang Elliott

2. Chorus: 4/13/92; Tompkins Co., N.Y.; Lang Elliott

3. Aggressive calls: 4/24/90; Tompkins Co., N.Y.; Lang Elliott

ORDERING INFORMATION: The above guide is published by NorthSound Music Group, which filed for bankruptcy in February 2002. Inventory is still available. Individuals who want to order using their credit card should phone 1-800-432-8376, which is a store in Virginia called One Good Tern. Wholesale customers (= stores, nature centers, etc.) should try ordering from the two following wholesale distributors:

Common Ground Distributors: 1-800-654-0626

Universal Music: 1-8004-28-4439 (You will need to tell them it's a "NorthSound " product; otherwise they will be confused)

List of 42 species covered in this guide:

Ranidae - True Frogs

Bullfrog
Pig Frog
Green Frog
Wood Frog
Mink Frog
Carpenter Frog
Florida Bog Frog
Plains Leopard Frog
Southern Leopard Frog
Northern Leopard Frog
Pickerel Frog
Gopher Frog
Crawfish Frog
River Frog

Hylidae - Treefrogs and Allies

Green Treefrog
Pine Barrens Treefrog
Barking Treefrog
Squirrel Treefrog
Pine Woods Treefrog
Gray Treefrog
Cope's Gray Treefrog
Bird-voiced Treefrog
Spring Peeper
Ornate Chorus Frog
Strecker's Chorus Frog
Little Grass Frog
Western Chorus Frog
Southern Chorus Frog
Brimley's Chorus Frog
Mountain Chorus Frog
Northern Cricket Frog
Southern Cricket Frog

Bufonidae - True Toads

American Toad
Southern Toad
Gulf Coast Toad

Fowler's Toad

Great Plains Toad

Oak Toad

 

Pelobatidae - Spadefoots

Eastern Spadefoot

Plains Spadefoot

 

Microhylidae - Narrowmoth Toads

Eastern Narrowmouth Toad

Plains Narrowmouth Toad

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