The Pacific Chorus Frogs
The Splash Center has five resident Pacific Chorus Frogs that were donated after being kept as pets for many years. The Pacific Chorus Frog is the only green or brown frog in our area with a dark "mask" across its eyes and "suction cups" on its toes. Often called the Pacific Treefrog, it uses these toe pads to help climb plants, trees, even walls and windows!
The call of the Pacific Chorus Frog is often heard during spring and summer evenings. Males make a "ri-bett," or "kreck-ek" sound when calling for females. On some evenings, wetland areas can be almost deafening with the sound of thousands of these frogs trying to "out sing" each other.
The Pacific Chorus Frog lays its eggs in vernal pools and other still water in early spring. Look carefully (without disturbing the water) for small, golfball-sized clusters of clear eggs. They will be attached to sticks or plants; however, they even breed in empty buckets and discarded tires! The eggs hatch into tadpoles within 2 to 5 weeks and the tadpoles metamorphose into small frogs in one or two months.
Pacific Chorus Frogs are the most common frog in the Sacramento area and they are an important part of wetland communities. Because they are so common, they provide food for many other animals, including raccoons, snakes, wading birds, ducks and even other frog species. The tadpoles are a favorite food of the fierce Water Tigers. The tadpoles eat algae, detritus, bacteria, protozoa, rotifers and small crustaceans.
In the wild, adult Pacific Chorus Frogs eat slugs, spiders, centipedes, and insects. The Pacific Chorus Frogs at the Splash Center usually eat crickets, wax worms, and flies.
