What animal makes this sound? (San Diego, CA)

July 7, 2024 11:45 PM

What animal makes the low-pitched creaking sound in this recording? You may have to turn up the volume to hear it clearly. The recording is from San Diego, CA, along a creek in a natural area at night in the summer.
posted by aws17576 to Science & Nature (5 answers total)

Best answer: That sounds a lot like an American Bullfrog (click the speaker icon to hear the call it makes). It is not native to California, but nonetheless common in San Diego county. I identified it using California Frog and Toad Calls. Their breeding season is May to August.
posted by RichardP at 12:14 AM on July 8 [3 favorites]

Best answer: Just from lots of camping as a kid, seconding bullfrog. Frogs can make some fucked-up noises, man, I tell you what.
posted by Shepherd at 3:06 AM on July 8 [3 favorites]

Best answer: Yep, that's a bullfrog. Believe me, I know - I grew up in a place where we had so many that they fought each other once and freaked everyone else out. (And so seconding Shepherd about bullfrogs making weird noises.)
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 5:19 AM on July 8

Response by poster: Thanks, everybody!
posted by aws17576 at 1:37 PM on July 8

"American bullfrogs were intentionally introduced into the western United States as a food source and for biological control of insects, and may have been accidentally introduced into some areas during fish stocking."
posted by Iris Gambol at 4:43 PM on July 8