In Arizona, the western chorus frog lives in ponds and springs along the Mogollon Rim. The males emerge in spring, singing their hearts out, day and night, for a mate.
One of 18 species of North American chorus frogs, western chorus frogs occur at elevations up to 11,000 feet. A cryoprotectant in their blood protects tissue from freezing damage. Not surprisingly, they begin singing earlier in spring than other frogs or toads in Arizona.
They overwinter as adults in a state of torpor. A male will extend its balloon-like throat above water to sing. Eggs are laid on underwater vegetation. The tadpoles consume algae and develop into adults over several months. The adult frog is up to an inch and a half long, and colored olive, brown or gray.
Western chorus frogs eat insects, and are preyed upon in turn by birds, fish and other predators.
In Northern Arizona they can be found in tanks, ponds and lakes, mysteriously reaching fairly isolated water sources. They do expand their ranges in wetter years, migrating to new water sources.
Amphibians are losing ground worldwide to pollution and habitat loss, with a 4% annual decline in populations in the United States in recent years. They are important indicators of ecological health. That’s why hearing them call in the spring is a sign of hope.
This Earth Note was written by Gwendolyn Waring and produced by KNAU and the Sustainable Communities Program at Northern Arizona University.
