Musical 



Of Chicagoland 



By John C. Murphy 

 frog photos by the author 



Frog choruses have always held a special fascination 

 for me. With the exception of a few spectacular 

 bird and primate calls and those of emerging cica- 

 das, no animals' auditory display can, in my estima- 

 tion, rival a chorus of frogs. 



I have waded in sloughs with alligators and 

 venomous snakes, warded off hordes of mosquitoes, 

 climbed trees while wearing chest waders, laid on 

 snow-covered ground, and been preyed upon by black 

 flies, leeches, and other creatures — all for the singular 

 delight of listening to frogs and studying their be- 

 havior. But anyone who wants to observe calling frogs 

 in the Chicago area can do so without many of these 

 inconveniences; and now, as we advance into spring, 

 the opportunities to do so are abundant. 



The presence of frogs in a forest pond can usually 

 be determined by a nighttime visit in spring or early 

 summer. While just sitting in the car with the window 

 rolled down and engine turned off one can hear the frog 

 chorus, but approaching the sound to actually watch 

 the calling frogs is something else. Listening to them, 

 then locating the source of their call is challenging and 



John C. Murphy is an associate in the Division of Amphibians and 

 Reptiles. He teaches biology at Plainfield High School, Plainfield, 

 Illinois, and has served as herpetology consultant for agencies such 

 as the Illinois Department of Transportation and for the govern- 

 ment of Trinidad and Tobago. Mr. Murphy is a past president of the 

 Chicago Herpetological Association and has been a generous donor 

 of specimens to Field Museum, notably of amphibians and reptiles. 

 "Water Snakes That You Might See around Chicago," by Mr. Mur- 

 phy, appeared in the March 1987 Bulletin. _ 



