Valentines Day is this month and love is in the air, but not just for humans, frogs are feeling it too.
Residents may hear the mating call of the Pacific Tree Frog, better known as the Pacific Chorus Frog for its “singing.” They are no bigger than the size of a quarter and often come in a green and brown variety.
During the rainy season on the Central Coast, the frogs come out of hiding. Emily Taylor is a biological sciences professor at Cal Poly. She said since they are sensitive to dry climates, the wet winter season sets a perfect environment for the frogs to search for a mate
“The males go out and they basically gather together and make this big chorus where they're yelling ‘Mate with me! Mate with me! Mate with me! Choose me! Choose me!’ for females who walk around and pick the ones whose voice they like,” said Taylor.
The frogs lay their eggs in bodies of water. Once they find a mate, they will fertilize eggs that later become tadpoles.
The tadpoles hatch throughout February and March, and they grow into frogs around April, where they then begin to hide in moist areas to avoid the sun.
Taylor said it's an exciting time that marks a transition for the season.
“I get really excited when you start to hear the frogs calling because it's marking that change from like colder, shorter, darker days to like the lengthening days of Spring when you have the amphibians coming out,” Taylor said.
“And then pretty soon we'll start seeing the lizards coming out, and then snakes, and so it's just the beginning of that slow transition into spring which is always exciting for me.”
According to Taylor, the frogs usually are most active at night after the season’s biggest storms.
