I have always associated these frogs' loud creaking sound echoing through the woods with the beginning of spring. They are among the tiniest of frogs in Michigan, along with the spring peeper, yet are extremely loud. Since they breed at about the same time as wood frogs, I listen for these frogs to tell if the quieter wood frogs are breeding. Western Chorus Frogs have a mask, similar to wood frogs but are much tinier. They are very shy, and are hard to photograph and/or catch. You have to be patient to catch these frogs, and approach very slowly. After caught, they refuse to sit still for a picture. You should always limit your holding of small frogs, especially if your hands are warm, as this heat is stressful to their small cold-blooded bodies. My hands were actually almost numbingly cold when I photographed the frog shown in the set up photo above. Visit the Set Up photo gallery for a shot of one of these frogs on my hand so you can get an idea how small an adult frog is.
