|
more articles like this
The James Earl Jones of Frogs
updated: Jul 07, 2012, 10:50 AM
By David Powdrell
So here's the deal…..the wife and I are out doing some domestic chores; moving some potted plants
around the back yard, watering the cymbidiums, sweeping up Basset dog hair, etc. when we hear the
rumbling roar of a great and mighty frog. The rascal is within a few feet and based on the low tone of
his croak, I'm guessing he's about 6' 2", 350 pounds and sports a beard. Maybe some tattoos.
After some rummaging through the leaves and debris, I find the fellow, a little one-inch crooner with a
voice of James Earl Jones.
In the words of my mentor Chris Erskine, "Background is usually the death of great narrative, but here's
a little": Per Wikipedia, in most calling frogs, the sound is amplified by one or more vocal sacs,
membranes of skin under the throat or on the corner of the mouth that distend during the amplification
of the call. Some frog calls are so loud that they can be heard up to a mile away.
Male frogs typically call out to attract a female. Females reply to the male call, which acts as a catalyst
for the enhancement of reproductive activity in the breeding colony. (I refer to this as "The Al Green
Effect").
Female frogs prefer males that produce sounds of greater intensity and lower frequency, attributes that
stand out in a crowd.
Sorta sounds familiar.
Send this picture as a postcard
# # # #
Send this picture as a postcard
# # # #
Send this picture as a postcard
# # # #
14 comments on this article. Read/Add
# # # #
|
