Bermuda may be best known for its pink beaches, but there is also a distinctive evening noise all Bermudians know…that of our treefrogs.
With fully grown adults under an inch long, these tiny creatures may be difficult to see, but they make themselves known with their distinct song at night.
The Bermuda Department Of Environment & Natural Resources said, “Eleutherodactylus Johnstonii – This species of whistling frog was introduced in Pembroke in the 1880s. It is native to Barbados and Grenada.
“It is common throughout Bermuda, but has not reached many of the smaller islands. This species is responsible for the chorus of chirps heard on warm nights or after heavy rain. The male makes the loud “gleep gleep” call by inflating and deflating a large throat pouch.
“These frogs are small; the male is about 2.2 cm [0.9״] and the female reaches 2.8 cm [1.1״]. The skin is smooth and light coloured underneath and greyish brown to orange-brown or pinkish on the back with dark markings. Whistling frogs have slender toes with suction cups which allow them to climb, even on glass.
“They are helpful additions to the garden as they eat a variety of pests such as ants and aphids.
“Leutherodactylus Gossei – This whistling frog is thought to have arrived from Jamaica on incoming plants around 1895. It was first observed in Paget and spread to Warwick and Devonshire. This species is not as slender as E. johnstonii, but around the same length.
“The back is light to dark grey, with a lighter underside. There is a black bar on the side of the head from the nose to the eye and some have a light coloured line down their back. The call of E.gossei is a single note repeated “tew tew tew”. The call is the most reliable way to distinguish E.gossei from E. johnstonii.”
