Quacking frog facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Quacking frog
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Genus:	Crinia
Species:	georgiana

The quacking frog (Crinia georgiana) is a small frog known for its loud call. People also call it the red-thighed froglet because its legs are often bright red. This frog belongs to the Myobatrachidae family. It is famous for making sounds that really do sound like a duck's quack!

These frogs can make up to 11 different notes in their call. They can even change the notes they use. You can find the quacking frog in the southwest part of Australia. They live in ponds, pools, and other wet places.

Quacking frogs have an interesting way of mating. One female frog can mate with several male frogs. This means her babies can have different fathers. Also, their tadpoles can grow up faster or slower. This depends on how good the conditions are around them. Male frogs often have stronger arms. They can use different ways to find a mate, depending on how many other males are around. These frogs also come in many different colors and skin textures. Their tadpoles are usually golden with clear tails.

What Does the Quacking Frog Look Like?

Two male quacking frogs wrestling.

The Crinia georgiana is a short, flat-looking frog. It has a big head and short legs. Like other frogs in its family, it has long fingers and toes that are not webbed. Its skin on top can be smooth or bumpy. The skin underneath is usually grainy.

These frogs can have many different colors and skin textures. Some might even have skin folds on their back. Their color can be orange, brown, or almost black. They might have brown swirly patterns or stripes on their back. These patterns help them hide.

Male frogs have a dirty-grey belly. Female frogs have a bright white belly. Both have a white spot near each leg. Their groin and the front and back of their thighs are bright red. Their upper eyelids are red or golden. Their hands are light in color. These features help you easily spot a quacking frog.

Young tadpoles are golden with clear tails. Male quacking frogs usually have stronger arms than females. This frog also has vomerine teeth. It is one of the few frogs in its family that can change the number of notes in its call.

How Big Are Quacking Frogs?

Female quacking frogs are usually about 30 to 36 millimeters long. Male frogs are often 24 to 32 millimeters long. The smallest males that call out can be as tiny as 20 millimeters.

There is a big difference in the size of male frogs. This might be because of how they choose mates. When tadpoles first hatch, they are about 7 millimeters long. They can grow up to 20.5 millimeters before they change into frogs.

Why Is It Called the Quacking Frog?

Quacking frogs are also called red-thighed froglets. They got the name "quacking frog" because of their sound. They were first found near a place called Albany. Because of this, they were named after King George Sound.

Where Do Quacking Frogs Live?

Quacking Frog Habitat

Water is very important for quacking frogs. They live in coastal plains and forests where there is lots of water. They especially need water in winter, which is when they breed. You can often find them in shallow water near rocks or in wet, marshy areas.

Quacking frogs also live in places changed by humans. This includes farms and gardens where water is usually easy to find.

Where Are Quacking Frogs Found?

This frog is only found in Australia. It lives in the southwest part of Western Australia. You can find them from Gingin in the north, inland to Dumbleyung, and east to Cape Le Grand. Most of them live near the coast. Very few live far inland because they need water to survive, especially when they breed.

Scientists believe there are more than 50,000 adult quacking frogs. Their numbers seem to be staying steady or even growing a little. The Crinia georgiana is a common type of frog.

Is the Quacking Frog in Danger?

The quacking frog is listed as "Least Concern" for its safety. This means it is not currently in danger. This is because it lives in many places and has a large population. However, building new homes and towns along the coast could become a problem later. Luckily, many places where they live are protected. This helps keep them safe.

Some quacking frogs have also been found with a type of fungus. So, diseases might be a threat in the future.

What Do Quacking Frogs Eat?

Frogs mostly eat insects. They also eat mites, snails, earthworms, and spiders. Smaller frogs can sometimes be eaten by bigger frogs. It does not seem like quacking frogs often eat fish. Sometimes, frogs might have grass, seeds, or flower petals in their stomachs. But this usually happens by accident, like when they eat an insect resting on a plant.

Most frogs catch their food by flicking out their tongue. Their tongue is sticky, so the prey sticks to it. The frog then pulls the food into its mouth and swallows it whole. Frogs do not chew their food. Many frogs do not even have teeth.

Quacking frogs do have small teeth-like bumps on the roof of their mouth. These are called vomerine teeth. But they do not seem very important for eating. Once the food is in the stomach, the stomach squeezes. Muscles in the belly help digest the food and get rid of waste.

The Quacking Frog's Call

The quacking frog's call sounds just like a duck's quack. Usually, there are 1 to 4 quacks in a row. But they can make up to 12 quacks. Male frogs will answer other males' calls with the same number of notes. These calls are used to attract female frogs that are ready to mate. The call is clear and loud. These frogs will even respond if you imitate their call!

Male quacking frogs make calls with 1 to 11 notes. The number of notes can change depending on what they hear. If they hear a call with 2 or 4 notes, they will often match it. But if they hear only 1 note, they might make more than 1 note. If they hear 8 notes, they might make fewer than 8 notes.

When male quacking frogs hear fake calls, they change the notes they make. They also adjust the number of notes they produce. This might mean that quacking frogs try to avoid their calls overlapping with other frogs.

Quacking frog calls can be high or low pitched. The first note in their call is usually longer than the ones that follow. Not all males can perfectly match the number of notes they hear. This means there is a slight delay in their call matching. The more notes in a call they hear, the longer it takes for them to respond. If people move around where these frogs live, the hidden males might start quacking.

Quacking Frog Mating and Life Cycle

Male Frog Interactions

Male quacking frogs often match each other's calls. This is a way they compete. They try to match the number and complexity of calls from nearby males. If two calls happen close together, but more than 1.5 seconds apart, the responding male will only answer the first call.

Some scientists think that quacking frogs have a "leader-follower" relationship. This is because there are long pauses between their calls. Also, males usually do not interrupt other males' calls. No one has ever recorded an aggressive call from these frogs. Some scientists believe that call matching helps males attract mates without using too much energy.

Male quacking frogs also wrestle with their arms to fight for breeding spots. The male with the stronger arms usually wins control of the area. Larger males tend to be the ones that call out. Smaller males often stay quiet to save energy. They act as "satellites" near a calling male. This is a different way for them to try and mate.

A male's arm strength affects his mating success. If there are few males around, males with stronger arms mate more often. They can wrestle quiet males away from females. But if there are many males, males with strong arms have to compete with more quiet males. This can lead to several males trying to mate with one female at the same time.

It is important to know that a male's size and arm strength are separate things. Size affects whether a male calls or stays quiet. Arm strength does not decide if a male calls or stays quiet. It also does not affect if a male mates alone or with a group.

Since a female can mate with many males, the sperm from different males must compete to fertilize the eggs. This means the competition continues even after mating.

Hibernation

Quacking frogs take a long rest during summer and autumn. This is called hibernation. They hide under rocks and logs to stay safe while they hibernate.

How Quacking Frogs Reproduce

Crinia georgiana mostly breeds in winter, from July to October. They usually breed in shallow, muddy pools near granite rocks. They have also been known to breed in puddles and tire tracks.

The amount of rain affects when they breed. They usually breed in temporary ponds that fill up after it rains. The temperature can also affect how many eggs are laid. If it is very cold, they lay eggs more slowly. However, water is usually warmer than the air. So, the water temperature rarely drops low enough to stop breeding. The moon's phases also affect mating. More mating happens around the full moon.

Mating usually happens at night. When a female frog arrives, she looks for a male that is calling. She moves under his body, and they mate. However, a quiet male might try to join in. These quiet males are usually smaller and stay close to the calling male.

Mating in quacking frogs is special because one female can mate with many males. About half of all matings involve more than one male, sometimes up to nine! This means the babies from one group of eggs can have many different fathers.

When there are many males in an area, they will fight over the females. The larger males usually win and get to mate with the female. Calling also decreases when there are many males. Larger males call much more often than smaller males. Smaller males might not call to save energy. They might not have enough energy to compete with larger males.

Females are more likely to mate with a calling male. So, to have a better chance of mating, smaller, quiet males will often act as "satellites." They stay near a calling male. When a female comes and starts to mate with the larger male, the smaller male will join in. This forces a group mating. Group mating also happens when a male who has a calling spot mates with a female, and other males join in. The larger, calling male will get the best mating position. The other males have to take less good positions.

How Many Eggs Do Quacking Frogs Lay?

Female quacking frogs lay about 70 eggs on average. The number and size of the eggs depend on what the parents know about their environment. If the pond is not expected to flood, laying large eggs works best. But if the parents are unsure about the environment, they lay eggs of different sizes.

Tadpoles can change how fast they grow depending on the water. If the water is shallow, they can speed up their growth. But growing faster can mean they do not survive as well. It can also mean they are smaller and cannot jump as well. Being smaller and not jumping well can make it harder for them to survive. It can make them easier targets for predators. It also makes it harder to catch food.

For male frogs, being smaller affects their mating success. For female frogs, shallow water can lead to them laying larger eggs. However, they lay fewer eggs, which can also affect their success.

Mating and egg-laying happen in shallow, temporary wet spots. These spots often dry up before the tadpoles can change into frogs. This usually takes about 4 to 7 weeks. Because of this, quacking frog tadpoles develop in very large eggs compared to other frogs. This helps them grow up faster and deal with dry weather. Tadpoles from larger eggs are more likely to survive and become frogs. Females that lay smaller eggs lay more of them. This makes sense because smaller eggs have a lower chance of survival. So, laying more eggs increases the chance that some will survive. The size and number of eggs laid can vary a lot from female to female. It is not clear why some lay large eggs and others lay many small ones.

Tadpole Survival

Scientists have found that tadpoles with less food (from a smaller egg) might die more often. But those that do survive can still grow into frogs at the same speed as those with lots of food. Also, if water levels drop, tadpoles can speed up their growth. This helps them get out of a fragile state when water is scarce. This shows that the quacking frog has learned to survive in the dry climate of Western Australia.

Images for kids

See also

In Spanish: Crinia georgiana para niños