Frogs Chorusing in Cape May

Along with the warmer temperatures, spring revives sounds, the songs of animals calling to establish breeding territories and attract mates. Birds, of course, do this; my first sign of spring is usually when the House Finches start to sing in earnest again in February. Insects sing, too, though we will not get the full effect of those nightly choruses for a while yet. Right now, the nights around wetland areas are full of the sounds of amphibians.



Several species of frogs were calling in Cape May Point State Park one night last week. I took these videos at various points along the boardwalks, as the evening got darker and the choruses got louder. The video above, taken early in the evening, records the sound of Northern Spring Peepers. Other sounds in the video include waves on the beaches and footsteps on the boardwalk.



This video has mostly Wood Frogs, as well as a New Jersey Chorus Frog.



This video has four species: Northern Spring Peepers, Northern Cricket Frogs, Wood Frogs, and Pickerel Frogs.



This video, my last of the evening, has the same set of species as the previous one.

New Jersey's fish & wildlife agency produced a guide to the state's amphibians. There is a pdf summary of the frogs and a website with links to factsheets about each of the state's reptiles and amphibians.

Northern Gray Treefrog

Last week I found this Northern Gray Treefrog (Hyla versicolor) near Big John's Pond in Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. I had stopped to photograph some insects and just happened to lay eyes on it. Otherwise I might have missed the frog due to its excellent camouflage.These treefrogs are plentiful but are more often heard than seen. Their call is a soft trill.

There is a very similar species, Cope's Gray Treefrog (H. chrysoscelis), which is distinguishable from Northern Gray Treefrog only by voice. However, it is a southern species, and as far as I can tell, it does not range into New York. It is present in small numbers in a few counties in southern New Jersey.