328 Frogs of the Okefinokee Swamp 



"The voice of the tree frog is a loud musical trill, like a low-pitched whistle. 

 It may be recognized by its extremely pronounced trill. Each individual call 

 lasts about two seconds and may be repeated at intervals of ten to twenty 

 seconds. 



"When a tree frog sings, it distends a throat pouch to about the size of its 

 head. The vocal pouch vibrates with the trilling and so its photograph will 

 often be blurred. The frog usually sings while sitting upright in a dry place, 

 such as a lily pad or a branch over the water. It is not especially shy, and is 

 usually easy to photograph. 



"Besides the trill, the tree frog has another note that is not generally 

 known and recognized. This note is exactly like the sound made by a hen 

 turkey that is calling to her mates. It is a low, mournful "chow, chow, chow, 

 chow, chow," whistled with a descending pitch, repeated about three times a 

 second for two or three seconds. When I first heard the sounds, their source 

 was a mystery, for they were infrequent. But at last I discovered the musi- 

 cians. Sitting on a small limb just above the water were two tree frogs about 

 six inches apart. Turning about and facing each other, one gave its turkey 

 call by chirping, while nodding its head and body with every chirp-like and 

 puppy barking. It was at once answered by the other in the same way. The 

 two then quickly turned about and resumed their ordinary songs. This 

 performance was repeated several times while I watched them with aching 

 feet, for they waited a long time between their turkey calls. The Long 

 Island negroes name the call a 'turkey root' from a superstitious behef on 

 the virtues of roots in conjuring and magic. A negro calls any mysterious 

 sound or sight a conjure or "root,' and he will run a mile to avoid hearing a 

 'turkey root.' " 



We (1914, pp. 45, 46) have discussed their voice and calling at length and 

 will not attempt its characterization here. 



In 192 1 on my way to the Okefinokee Swamp I stopped at Raleigh, N. C. 

 where I heard males calling April 15 and many calling April 16. 



In 1 92 1, August 16, at Camp Pinckney, F. Harper and Marion Lee of our 

 party heard this species. The former notes that: "Their habitat here was 

 about some temporary and permanent pools in level woods of live oaks and 

 other oaks, with a few pines. Some were trilUng on the ground, while others 

 in voice were clinging in a vertical position on the trunks of pine or oak within 

 a couple feet from the ground. The note is a rather vigorous high-pitched 

 trill: r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-t, etc. Ten or eleven calls were given in the space 

 of half a minute and each one lasted about 2/3 of a second. At its maximum 

 inflation the throat sac attains a size a little larger than the head, and in the 

 intervals between trills it is deflated to about half that size." 



In 1922 we heard it from June 19- August 12. On August 11 "at Camp 

 Pinckney from 1-3 p.m. were heard several males in the trees. At 8:30-10 

 p.m. we found several in the oaks. One in black gum (small tree 4 feet high) 

 beside pond No. 4 where we found Hyla versicolor tadpoles the last time we 

 came. Several males low in bushes on south side of Pond No. 3. Several 

 were in trees 10-15 feet up or more. Took a female on the bole of a tree near 



