What I've Learned

Ask anyone, even a child, to make a sound like a frog and there is a good chance they will say ribbit in a froggy sort of voice.

Have you ever in your life heard a frog, an actual frog, go ribbit? Probably not. So how did the idea that frogs make such a sound permeate our culture?

Thank Hollywood.

Early in the transition from silent to sound movies, ambient noises were needed for night scenes, so a technician went out after dark and did some recording. Among the sounds he captured was the California treefrog, one of only three species of frog, out of thousands in the world, that goes ribbit.

Over the years, frog voices recorded in California have been used as generic frog sounds in movies, and people now associate that sound with all frogs.

The frog most often seen in movies is the leopard frog. He's handsome, spotted, energetic, and an excellent leaper. His call sounds nothing like a Pacific treefrog, but he looks good on camera.

In Monkey Business (1931), Harpo Marx chases a leopard frog that ribbits.

In the 1972 horror movie, Frogs, which is set in the South, a bunch of leopard frogs ribbit Ray Milland to death. They crash through his windows and ribbit so fiercely he has a heart attack.

In "E.T." (1982) when Elliott releases the frogs that were about to be dissected, we hear much ribbiting. The movie is set in California, so the sounds are not out of place geographically. However, the creatures shown hopping all about are leopard frogs.

In "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" (2000) – which takes place in Mississippi – three escaped prisoners have a wild night with some beautiful sirens. In the morning, two of the three men wake up on a river bank to find nothing but the clothes of the third man.

They are amazed to see what looks like a beating heart within the flattened, empty shirt. The "heart" moves upward and emerges from the neck of the garment. It's a toad.

One of the men, Delmar, says, "Them syreens did this to Pete. They loved him up and turned him into a horny toad."

When Delmar tries to catch the toad (which is not a toad, but our versatile friend, the leopard frog), it hops away, emitting, you guessed it, a non-Mississippi ribbit.

What's the difference between a toad and a frog? Nothing, really, which can be confusing. They are members of the order, Anura, and all members of that order are considered frogs.

There is a family called Bufonidae – of which there are five hundred or so species – that are considered "true toads," whatever that means. All the rest are divided according to these nonscientific guidelines.

Generally, the term frog is used for frogs that have bulging eyes; long, webbed hind feet that are good for leaping and swimming; smooth or slimy skin (they enjoy moister environments); and lay eggs in clusters.

Toad refers to frogs that have stubby bodies; hind legs that are short and less powerful (they take smaller, almost walking sorts of hops); their skin is warty and dry, as they prefer drier environments; and instead of clusters, they lay their eggs in long chains.

Some species that according to these guidelines should be called frogs, are referred to as toads, and vice versa. As I said, it can be confusing.

In Maine, we have a pleasant mix of toads and frogs, among them are the American bullfrog, American toad, Fowler's toad, gray treefrog, green frog, mink frog, northern leopard frog, pickerel frog, spring peeper, and wood frog.

They make a wonderful chorus of sounds. None of them ribbit.