What Do Pacific Tree Frogs Sound Like?
Pacific Tree Frog sounds are perhaps the most commonly heard frog on the West Coast of the United States. These frogs are also known as Pacific Chorus Frogs, and Northern Pacific Tree Frogs. Their scientific name is Pseudacris regilla.
The mating call of the Pacific Tree Frog is a classic “rib-bit”, the noise that most people think of when they imagine a frog sound. Male frogs also make an aggressive call to let intruder frogs know that they have encroached on a territory. If the unwelcome frog does not retreat, a fight may occur.
Pacific Treefrog sounds are one of about 30 tree frog noises in the U.S., and one of about 100 toad and frog sounds.
I have included a video of Pacific Tree Frog sounds below:
When Do Pacific Tree Frogs Call?
Because they inhabit a wide range of altitudes, it is possible to hear Pacific Tree Frogs calling anytime between November and July, depending on where you are in their range. They tend to breed in cooler weather than several other species.
Males find their way to breeding areas several weeks ahead of females and can create large choruses — that is, large groups of frogs calling at once.
Pacific Tree Frogs call during the day at the beginning of the season, but as the weather warms they call mostly in the evenings and at night. Large choruses occur primarily between water temperatures of 46 and 66 degrees Fahrenheit.
Where Do Pacific Tree Frogs Call?
Pacific Tree Frogs live in areas adjacent to ponds and slow-moving streams. During the breeding season, males generally space themselves at a relatively even distance around the edge of water bodies, using their encounter calls to ensure adequate spacing.
The Pacific Treefrog is one of the most common frogs (and thus makes one of the most common tree frog sounds) in the Western United States, and can occupy a variety of habitats, from lowlands to higher altitudes.
References
This sound guide draws from several sources, including several AmphibiaWeb and Animal Diversity Web, The Frogs and Toads of North America (2009) by Elliott, Gerhardt, and Davidson and Frogs and Toads of the United States and Canada (2013), by C. Kenneth Dodd.