frog noise

[fitz]

hi there,i'm new to the forum,[first post]i have a question about frogs,
i take my 4 year old daughter to the local pond looking for frogs,toads
and newts quite often,yesterday i caught quite a large frog,but when
i lifted it up it started squeeling like a little mouse it also covered its
eyes with its front legs,i get loads of frogs and toads in the back garden
and remember catching them when i was young but i have never
came across this,just wondered if anyone could shed some light on this.
i never harm the frogs and always put them back where i got them.
hope someone can help because i'm puzzled.
thanks.
martin.

[henrya]

Don't know what triggers this, but I've heard of it before. And, like you, I've picked up a fair few frogs without them squealing. Maybe some frogs are just more sensitive. It's almost certainly a fear or pain reaction. I'll have a read tonight and let you know if I find any more.

henrya

[Boddie]

I believe this to be the 'I cant see you, so you can't see me!', similar to what my young niece plays with me by covering her eyes - making her 'invisible'. The noise is most certainly caused by stress. I wouldn't let it stop you exploring as I cannot imagine it causes any long term effects. For me it is interesting to hear as my phobia would not permit me to handle a frog or toad but I still like to hear about experiences.

[henrya]

Quote
I believe this to be the 'I cant see you, so you can't see me!', similar to what my young niece plays with me by covering her eyes - making her 'invisible'
Endquote

Might just be protecting the eyes - important for an animal whose eyes are so prominent, or else covering them so that the frog doesn't look like a frog any more (if it hasn't got big eyes, it can't be a frog, so it might not be good to eat)

Tried Mr Google with "screaming frogs" and actually found some wildlife stuff. One suggestion that only males scream (not sure I can believe this). Several mentions of frogs screaming when cats catch and play with them.

The scream is surely meant to startle the captor into dropping the frog which may then have a chance to escape.

henrya

[nightshade]

frogs puff themselves up in order to deter predators, covering their eyes alters the appearance and protects, the thin squeak is an alarm and a startling effect
as they deflate,altering size to loosen any grip which the predator has
ITwas probably a toad in any case

[henrya]

Quote
frogs puff themselves up in order to deter predators,
Endquote

Toads puff themselves up, and stand on the tips of their toes, to make themselves look bigger and threatening. Frogs don't seem to puff themselves up much.

Quote
covering their eyes alters the appearance and protects,
Endquote

Yes - and if the frog is of a species that has a brightly coloured belly, it will arch the spine to bring this into view, and may even flip over on to its back.

Quote
the thin squeak is an alarm and a startling effect
Endquote

The accounts I have read suggest a loud scream, not a 'thin squeak'

Quote
ITwas probably a toad in any case
Endquote

Sorry, Nightshade - I don't agree. I think Fitz was right - it was a frog.

henrya

[fitz]

hi there,thanks for all the reply's
you are right henrya it was definately a frog,i can tell frogs from toads
the differance i quite considerable,i have seen it again and got exactly
the same response,so i think it may be a bit more sensitive than the
others that i see.
thanks again
martin.

[nightshade]

SORRY FITZ
i thought the id was by your daughter

[catalaze]

It's a while back now but I'm new to this website. It is a scream and it seems to serve the same purpose as a scream would if a giant frog picked you up. It is most often heard by frog-catching cat owners. However, it does seem to vary from place to place, so maybe the frogs of one area are screamers and those of others aren't.

[Gill Catton]

I know male toads can squeak when you pick them up I think they do it too when a male mistakenly grabs another male as if it was a female and the male squeaks to highlight the mistaken identity...