Frog Calls of Sligo Creek

		Frog Calls of Sligo Creek
Natural History of Frogs of Sligo Quiz on Frog Calls

Click on Name to see photo - Click on Location for explanation - See the Quick Guide.

Name Dates
Location Calls
Click on icon to hear frog call

Wood Frog
Rana sylvatica Feb.-Mar
(C-U-P) CACK-A-CACK. Duck-like quacking or cackling, several harsh notes given in rapid succession : cack-a-cack or cack-a-hack, or craw-aw-auk. often repetitive: r-r-racket, r-r-racket, r-r-racket. Little carrying power. Also compared to round stones being clacked together

Northern Spring Peeper
Pseudacris crucifer Mar-July
(C-U-P) PREEP. Single, clear, piercing, high-pitched, bird-like prreep that slurs upward at the end, given about once per second. From a distance, collective sound is like sleigh bells jingling. Closer, seems deafening.

Southern Leopard Frog
Rana sphenocephala Feb-Apr
(U-U-P) CHU-HU-HU-HUCK. A series of 5 or more (sometimes 3-5) gutteral "chucking" notes or croaks, delivered as a stutter usually too fast to count: chu-hu-hu-hu-huck, chu-hu-hu-hu-huck, chu-hu-hu-hu-huck. Also described as a short chuckle-like guttural trill, or like the sound of rubbing a balloon

Striped Chorus Frog
Pseudacris triseriata Mar-July
(U-U-U) CRRREEK. A rapid, metallic, regularly repeated series of crrreek sounds that rise in pitch, like rubbing a finger across the stiff teeth of a small comb. Repeated every 1-2 seconds

Eastern American Toad
Bufo americanus Mar-Apr
(C-C-C) DREAMY TEMOLO. High, sweet, dreamlike tremolo, lasting several to 30 seconds or more, pausing for a few seconds, and then repeated. Can be imitated by whistling and humming a high note at the same time. Calls day and night during peak breeding season

Pickerel Frog
Rana palustris Mar-Apr
(C-E-E) SNORE Harsh, low-pitched snore lasting one to three seconds. Males can call while submerged.

Eastern Spadefoot Toad
Scaphiopus holbrookii Mar-Aug
(U-U-U) WANK! Loud, abrupt, explosive, nasal squawk, wank or errrrrrah! Repeated every 2 seconds. Comparable to geese honking or the noise made by rubbing a balloon; Carries for half-mile or more.

Northern Cricket Frog
Acris crepitans May-July
(U-U-U) CLICKS. A series of metallic clicks given in quick succession; resembles the rapid clicking together of two small stones.

Fowler's Toad
Bufo woodhousii May-July
(P-P-P) WAAAAAA! Loud, nasal, buzzy, discordant, low-pitched bleat, waaaaaaa! Like a baby crying. Lasts 1-5 seconds and carries over a distance

Green Tree Frog
Hyla cinera Apr-July
(U-U-U) QUANK-QUANK-QUANK. A ringing or bell-like queenk-queenk-queenk or quank-quank-quank, repeated about once per second. Hundreds or thousands may sing in competition in good habitat.

Green Frog
Rana clamitans May-July
(C-E-E) C-TUNG! Low, explosive, twangy c-tung, gunk! or gung! Three or four resonant notes sounding like a plucking a loose string on a banjo.

Bullfrog
Rana catesbeiana May-July
(C-E-E) JUG-O-RUM! Loud, vibrant , resonant, deep bass jug-o'-rum heard over great distances. Also rendered as a stuttering ru-u-u-umm . . . ru-u-u-umm . . . ru-u-u-umm

Gray Treefrog
Hyla versicolor May-July
(E-U-P) TRILL. A short, vibrant, flute-like trill, lasting about half a second and repeated every few seconds. Carries over long distances. Can be almost deafening if a pond is full of frogs.

Name	Dates Location	Calls Click on icon to hear frog call
Wood Frog Rana sylvatica	Feb.-Mar (C-U-P)	CACK-A-CACK. Duck-like quacking or cackling, several harsh notes given in rapid succession : cack-a-cack or cack-a-hack, or craw-aw-auk. often repetitive: r-r-racket, r-r-racket, r-r-racket. Little carrying power. Also compared to round stones being clacked together
Northern Spring Peeper Pseudacris crucifer	Mar-July (C-U-P)	PREEP. Single, clear, piercing, high-pitched, bird-like prreep that slurs upward at the end, given about once per second. From a distance, collective sound is like sleigh bells jingling. Closer, seems deafening.
Southern Leopard Frog Rana sphenocephala	Feb-Apr (U-U-P)	CHU-HU-HU-HUCK. A series of 5 or more (sometimes 3-5) gutteral "chucking" notes or croaks, delivered as a stutter usually too fast to count: chu-hu-hu-hu-huck, chu-hu-hu-hu-huck, chu-hu-hu-hu-huck. Also described as a short chuckle-like guttural trill, or like the sound of rubbing a balloon
Striped Chorus Frog Pseudacris triseriata	Mar-July (U-U-U)	CRRREEK. A rapid, metallic, regularly repeated series of crrreek sounds that rise in pitch, like rubbing a finger across the stiff teeth of a small comb. Repeated every 1-2 seconds
Eastern American Toad Bufo americanus	Mar-Apr (C-C-C)	DREAMY TEMOLO. High, sweet, dreamlike tremolo, lasting several to 30 seconds or more, pausing for a few seconds, and then repeated. Can be imitated by whistling and humming a high note at the same time. Calls day and night during peak breeding season
Pickerel Frog Rana palustris	Mar-Apr (C-E-E)	SNORE Harsh, low-pitched snore lasting one to three seconds. Males can call while submerged.
Eastern Spadefoot Toad Scaphiopus holbrookii	Mar-Aug (U-U-U)	WANK! Loud, abrupt, explosive, nasal squawk, wank or errrrrrah! Repeated every 2 seconds. Comparable to geese honking or the noise made by rubbing a balloon; Carries for half-mile or more.
Northern Cricket Frog Acris crepitans	May-July (U-U-U)	CLICKS. A series of metallic clicks given in quick succession; resembles the rapid clicking together of two small stones.
Fowler's Toad Bufo woodhousii	May-July (P-P-P)	WAAAAAA! Loud, nasal, buzzy, discordant, low-pitched bleat, waaaaaaa! Like a baby crying. Lasts 1-5 seconds and carries over a distance
Green Tree Frog Hyla cinera	Apr-July (U-U-U)	QUANK-QUANK-QUANK. A ringing or bell-like queenk-queenk-queenk or quank-quank-quank, repeated about once per second. Hundreds or thousands may sing in competition in good habitat.
Green Frog Rana clamitans	May-July (C-E-E)	C-TUNG! Low, explosive, twangy c-tung, gunk! or gung! Three or four resonant notes sounding like a plucking a loose string on a banjo.
Bullfrog Rana catesbeiana	May-July (C-E-E)	JUG-O-RUM! Loud, vibrant , resonant, deep bass jug-o'-rum heard over great distances. Also rendered as a stuttering ru-u-u-umm . . . ru-u-u-umm . . . ru-u-u-umm
Gray Treefrog Hyla versicolor	May-July (E-U-P)	TRILL. A short, vibrant, flute-like trill, lasting about half a second and repeated every few seconds. Carries over long distances. Can be almost deafening if a pond is full of frogs.

Based on 1998 list compiled by Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments.
Descriptions of calls adapted from Lang Elliott, The Calls of Frogs and Toads (2004); Bernard Martof, et al, Amphibians and Reptiles of the Carolinas and Virginia (1980), Charles Fergus, Wildlife of Virginia and Maryland and Washington, DC (2003); Thomaas Tyning, Stokes Guide to Amphibians and Reptiles (1990).