The Pond's Chorus

Article and audio clip by Sergio Aguilar

El Coro Del Estanque en Español This page is also available in Spanish.

The frog chorus of this sound clip is a beautiful example of coffee plantation "music". The pond is found in Miradores del Mar, in the Mexican State of Veracruz. At night you can hear thousands of frogs calling madly in this small pond, full of trash, algae, and exceptionally warm water. It is because of the warm water that so many amphibians are found here. The recording took place in July, at the beginning of the rainy season. There was also a "bad guy"; a frog-eating snake (Leptodeira annulata), that silently surrounded the pond looking for frogs to eat. When the frogs sense its presence, they all quiet down at once, but are easy prey to this predator.

In the pond, there were numerous species of frogs, of which the following could be identified.

Rio Grande Leopard Frog (Rana berlandieri)

This is a member of the true frogs, and one of the largest of the region. Because the size of its legs and the lack of toxic substances (present in many frogs), it has many predators. Its only defense is by jumping as far as 2 meters in desperate attempts to save its life. Currently research is being made on this frog; to find the natural antibiotic substances that protect its skin from disease, as it is very rare to find frogs with skin infections even though they live in bacteria infested environments.

Tree frog (Hyla picta)

This is the most abundant frog in the pond. It is yellow, and the male inflates its vocal sac to produce its mating call. It can be found mating during the rain season.

(Phrynohias venulosa)

This is a very rare frog, and one of the most disgusting ones. Its skin is full of warts and secretes mucus that is toxic.

Giant Toad (Bufo marinus)

This is a common toad widely distributed in Mexico. Full skeletons have been found in prehispanic excavations in San Lorenzo Tenochtitlan. According to researchers, they were used in religious rites where they were used as hallucinogens. Clorhidric acid secreted by their parotid glands produces this effect. This species was taken to Australia over 100 years ago, to combat a sugar cane bug. It was a big mistake. The toad not only ate this insect, but many other species, displacing native insectivorous wildlife. Currently, there are plans to extract and remove this toad in some areas where it has become uncontrollable.

Mexican Treefrog (Smilisca baudini)

This is a medium sized treefrog. It is very abundant in this area. It lives in tropical forest but it can be found in disturbed forests such as coffee plantations. This is one of the frog called "calates" and eaten by the local residents of Altotonga in the state of Veracruz.

Gulf Coast Toad (Bufo valliceps) Mexican subspecies

It lives in rain and tropical forests, although it can be found in coffee plantations and other cultivated land. It is a small, nocturnal toad, similar to the common toad. It can spend long periods of time buried in the soil, and emerge at the onset of the rainy season. This toad can be easily captured and kept in captivity. Once it learns its feeding schedule, it will jump in anticipation every time it is fed mealworms and other wild insects.

Learn more about Mexican Wetlands...