Frog and Toad Calling Survey - Meditating for Science

Home Office Preparation for Missouri Frog & Toad Calling Survey

I have been a Missouri Master Naturalist about a year now.  There have been many opportunities to volunteer and participate in educational and fun activities with like-minded chapter members.  I try to write about as much as I can in the "Community and Friends"  and "Outdoor Activities" labels of this blog; so check there if you want to see more! This article is about a volunteer project that I can call my own because it is one that can be done alone or have helper(s).  It's all about being in the right place at the right time and getting in tune with the natural world around you. It's about being still in the darkness of night and clearing one's mind to be able to concentrate on simple sounds for a few minutes.  It's like meditating for science.

I am a Missouri Frog and Toad Call Surveyer and part of the North American Amphibian Monitoring Program (NAAMP).  I work directly with the Resource Science Division of the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC).  I never imagined I would be doing this at retirement but am very happy to be a part of the program which helps professionals determine population trends of frogs and toads on my route, my region, and throughout the state and country!  The field surveyors are kept informed of the results annually as I just received the 10-page "Hollerin' Herps!" detailed report from Resource Science contact, Kate Kelly with the MDC so we all know what everyone else is doing and how we contributed.

What's the big deal about frogs and toads?  Amphibians can be indicators of environmental health and can contribute to humanity.  They are an important part of our natural heritage.  For more details about the frogs and toads in Missouri, check out this link in the Missouri Department of Conservation. 

I have just completed my second survey having studied and passed the test in June 2014 just in time for the final "Window" or survey period of that year.  If you would like to see how many frogs and toads you can name, there is a part of the test that is for the public for fun.  From the Frog Call Quiz website, click on the Public Quiz image.  Follow the prompts for your area.  How many sounds in the night can you identify as frogs and toads?  Spring is the mating season and they can get pretty lively!

Surveys are done three times a year in the spring one half hour after sunset:
March 1-31 (minimum temperature of 42 degrees),
April 15 to May 15 (minimum temperature 50 degrees), and
May 31 to June 30 (minimum temperature 55 degrees).

The materials were provided by the MDC which included a couple of CD's with the individual calls and mixed group calls of 21 species in Missouri (there are 26 total) along with route maps, forms with instructions, and lots of useful data.  There are a possible 78 routes of which 48 were surveyed in 2014.  Many of these routes have been collecting data for up to nine years!  My route is named the Osage Plain/ Cross Timbers Route and it is located from the north part of Stockton Lake along Highway 39 and ends near Caplinger Mills by the Sac River.  That's about 15 miles long with 10 stops.  Stockton Lake is about 45 minutes from where I live.  This trip my husband, Keith, came along.  He was very helpful keeping us on tract from the map and written directions to the farm pond, road ditch or wet area, and river bottoms.  He also helped counting cars that went by, as required, as well as listened for the frog and toad calls.

Some of the other important data on the survey form include the start and finish time, wind and sky descriptions, last rainfall, moon visibility, and temperatures at each stop.  Any time-outs or major disruptions during the survey must be recorded.  Sometimes people would stop and ask if we needed help and I would briefly explain why we are in the middle of nowhere in the dark of night and show credentials, if needed.

We don't actually count all the frogs but use a scale of one to three for each species we hear at each stop on the route.  The time period is five minutes to listen.  Usually there are several different species at each stop.  The Amphibian Calling Index definitions are:

1.  Individuals can be counted; there is space between calls.
2.  Calls of individuals can be distinguished but there is some overlapping of calls.
3.  Full chorus, calls are constant, continuous, and overlapping.

Volunteer average listening time in 2014 was 99 minutes per survey throughout the state.  This doesn't include driving to and from routes, entering data, and taking the quiz.  All the time can be counted toward volunteer hours required (40) for yearly certification for Master Naturalist.  Also required are eight hours of Advanced Training each year of which the quiz and studying the calls can be included.  Last year I did more than a double requirement with over 100 volunteer hours and 16 hours Advanced Training in addition to the initial 50+ hours of classroom training my first year.  My volunteer time and advanced training included many interests.

I love being a Missouri Master Naturalist and what a great way to spend retirement!  Preparing for the survey included a review of the frogs and toads in my area and checking weather websites for wind speeds, recent rainfalls, and expected temperatures for the timeframe of that night's survey.  This year I made color flash cards with the sound descriptions written on back.  When I put in the CD, I can listen and look at the same time.  Also, the cards are handy to take out to the field.  Keith enjoyed becoming familiar with all the possible sounds and was excited when he heard them and could identify easily.  We also made a fun day of it!  We checked out a few new fishing access areas and even a bald eagle going after some road kill. It was a beautiful day and the weather was typical for early spring.  We also found a great Mexican Restaurant!  What better way to end a beautiful day that to listen to all the "love" going on in nature with my husband ;)

Here are photos of the 14 frogs and toads I have on my specific route.  If you want to actually hear what their call sounds like, go to the Frog Call Quiz site online and click on the "frog call lookup" in the upper right corner.

Spring Peeper - clear, high-pitched, bird-like peeps, with a slight rise at the end.

Boreal/Upland Chorus Frog - a raspy, extended "prreep" or "creek" with a rise in pitch at the end; sounds similar to running a fingernail over the small teeth of a pocket comb.

Crawfish Frog - a deep loud, snoring "gwwaaa" or "wwaahh" short very low-pitched snoring growl ("qwaaa"), rising slightly in pitch.  Rare.

Southern Leopard Frog - sounds like laughing, with chuckles grouped together: 5+ abrupt chuckles in each group; sometimes sounds like a hand rubbing over balloon.

Plains Leopard Frog - a rapid series of guttural "chuck-chuck-chuck" sounds similar to sucking the back of your hand

Pickerel Frog - a low-pitched, descending snore lasting several seconds; sounds like a door slowly creeping open.

American Toad - a high-pitched, musical trill lasting from 6 to 30 seconds.

Fowler's / Woodhouse's Toad - both species make a buzzy, nasal "w-a-a-a-h" lasting 1 to 5 seconds; sounds similar to a baby crying.

Cope's Gray / Gray Treefrog - these species are lumped together for NAAMP surveys.   Cope's Gray Treefrog is a high pitched buzzing trill with 34-69 pulses per second.  Grey Treefrog has a musical, birdlike trill which may vary from 17-35 pulses per second.

Northern Cricket Frog - a metallic "gick, gick, gick, etc" sound  like small peebles or glass marbles being tapped together.

Green Frog - an explosive "bongs" or "gunk" sound similar to a loose banjo string.

Eastern Narrow-mouthed Toad - a bleating, nasal "baaaa" sounds similar to a crying lamb; often one sets off the others and all call at once.

Western Narrow-mouthed Toad - a high-pitched short "peel" or "peep" followed by a nasal buzz; sounds similar to the buzz of a bee (nasal "baaah").

American Bullfrog - a deep-pitched "ger-a-a-rum" or "jug-of-rum" sound.