If you come to Zion during spring, you will hear
loud stuttering sounds, like a cross between an old
engine turning over and a cat purring. Lorin thought
it must be a large bird and Denyse assumed it was
a beaver.
The sound really comes from tiny frogs that live
in the drying puddles. They quickly become quiet and
jump into their pools if they hear you approach, but
if you imitate them loudly ( like an exaggerated Spanish
RR ) they will perk up and converse with you for as
long as you want.
After a few hours of talking to the frogs, we found
that they use a tonal and rhythm system to communicate.
The males set the tonal center, sometimes dropping
a 5th or an octave, and the females reply in 5ths
above the root note.
The mating ritual appears to work like this, The
male will mutter his personal call, if a female is
interested it will copy the tone and the rhythm. After
enough validation, the male will swim over to the
female and try to put the "death lock" on
her, I call it this because after a male has gotten
hold, he will not let go, even if a predator grabs
them both.
One of the more interesting aspects of the frog behavior
was how the males would fight for the best amplifying
rock perch. Whoever is the loudest will probably win
the female.
May 19, 2000
