Now that spring is here, I will be spending a lot of time photographing wildlife. In addition to seeing alligators, snakes, otters, and many kinds of birds, I will also be talking to the frogs. Yes, I talk to frogs. The fun part is that they talk back.

For this experiment you will need:

- balloons
- smooth pebbles
- a pond, lake, stream, swamp or other froggy area

Evening is the best time, but you can do this during the day as well. You may be wondering why I am sending you out into a swamp with a handful of balloons and a few pebbles. When you first walk up to the pond or marsh, your presence will probably cause the frogs to stop making sounds. They stop singing because they think you are a predator, there to eat them. To get them to start singing again, we need to make a noise that sounds like a frog. The kind of noise we will make depends on the kind of frogs you have in your area.

If you live in the eastern United States, then you can talk to cricket frogs by clicking two pebbles together. This produces a sound very much like the song of the cricket frog. Listen to the frogs before you get close to the pond, and then try to imitate that sound with the pebbles.

You can imitate many different kinds of frogs with a balloon. Leopard frogs are particularly easy to talk to, but this will work for many different kinds of frogs. Just blow up the balloon and rub your finger across it, to produce a variety of squeaks and squaws. After a few squeaks, some of the frogs in the pond will begin to call back to you. Once a few start, the rest will quickly join in.

Why does this work? First, we need to ask why do frogs sing? All of the different noises that frogs make are used for communication. Each kind of frog has its own call and they are used by male frogs to attract a mate and to keep other male frogs away.

As you approach, the frogs hear you coming and stop singing. They will sit there quietly, hoping that you will go away and not eat them. When you start clicking pebbles or squeaking the balloon, they think you are a frog. If it is OK for you to sing, they think all is clear and they will begin to sing as well.