Summer frog tranquility and trouble

Posted 8/21/12

Anyone who remembers the British rock band Mungo Jerry may also remember that around 1970 they came out with a single titled, “In the Summertime;” the song’s idea was to celebrate the carefree …

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Summer frog tranquility and trouble

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Anyone who remembers the British rock band Mungo Jerry may also remember that around 1970 they came out with a single titled, “In the Summertime;” the song’s idea was to celebrate the carefree days of summer. Somewhere just past the middle of the track, a couple of the band members imitated bullfrog calls. To this day, whenever I hear that song, I think of summer and also, of frogs and toads as they call during a tranquil summer night.

Indeed, summer is here, and the spring calls of the pickerel frog and American toad have been replaced by sounds such as the deep-throated call of the bullfrog or the gulping call of green frogs. Amphibians such as American toads and wood frogs have completed breeding in ponds and lakes and are now on dry land, away from water; you may spot one of these near your house or in the woods in shady spots. Once in a while, you may hear what sounds like a very loud cricket. This would be a grey tree frog, and they are frequently heard calling from trees. This species has the ability to change color to camouflage itself, so it may be hard to spot.

Speaking of crickets, there is one species we still have in this area, but it is in real danger of becoming extinct. The northern cricket frog, found only in small pockets in New York and Pennsylvania, including Orange County, NY, has been extirpated from its historical habitats to the extent that it is listed as endangered in both states. Over the last few decades, habitat loss, DDT and other contaminants, as well as other factors have contributed to the decline of this species. This month, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has released a plan for the recovery of the northern cricket frog in NY State. It can be found at www.dec.ny.gov/docs/wild lifepdf/crickfrogrecplan15.pdf.

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