Do Frogs Have Ears? Vet-Verified Anatomy Information
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During your regular walk or jog, you might have noticed that frogs move out of your way and run off into the grass when you get close to them. Sometimes they do this without actually seeing you approach them. How can these tiny creatures hear you without any visible ears?
Frogs have ears and can hear quite well, though specific ear configuration varies by the species. Most amphibians can hear efficiently in the air, underground, and even underwater. Read on to learn more about this unique skill of frogs and other amphibians.
Do Frogs Have Ears?
You’ve probably noticed that frogs, salamanders, and other amphibians don’t have the typical outer ears we are used to seeing, but that doesn’t mean they lack ears.
Frogs do have ears. In a technical sense, some frogs can be said to have four ears instead of the regular two!
In many frogs, the eardrum (or tympanum) is external and obvious. It appears as a large, flat disc just behind each eye. This eardrum functions much in the same way as the eardrum of humans to capture sound and send it to the frog’s brain for interpretation.
However, other frogs don’t seem to have a visible external eardrum, yet they aren’t deaf. This type of frog possesses an entirely different set of internal ears, a unique feature that sets them apart from other animals. At the base of their skull, on each side of their head, are two small openings covered with a tiny disc-shaped bone known as the operculum. Underneath this is a complex network of structures that enable the frog to hear by converting physical sound waves into neurological signals.
Thus, some frogs are thought to have four ears (two tympana and two opercula)! Other frogs are thought to have just two (the opercula).
Why Are Ears Important for Frogs?
- Communication
- Responding to mating calls
- Hearing territorial and distress calls
- Hearing predators or nearby danger
- Locating prey
Communication is key even in a frog’s life, as with all other living beings. Being able to hear allows frogs to communicate with and call each other. In most cases, males frequently call out for females in an attempt to find a mate. They may also make territorial calls and distress calls that other frogs need to hear to understand what’s happening around them.
Of course, besides the ability to communicate and hear each other, frogs rely on their hearing to spot any potential predators. This is particularly useful for survival, as many frogs are preyed on by other animals.
Frogs That Can Hear Ultrasound
A certain frog called Odorrana tormota was the first known species discovered with a unique ability: communicating by ultrasound! There’s a theory that these frogs developed this unique ability while residing in their natural habitat in the Anhui province in China. It is also theorized that they evolved to hear ultrasonic frequencies because the rapidly moving water that they reside near produces a perpetual low-frequency background noise all the time.
These frogs can both produce and hear in ultrasonic frequencies. While most frogs can hear frequencies below 12 kilohertz, this frog can chirp and hear frequencies at 128 kilohertz!
Final Thoughts
Yes, frogs have ears! While difficult to see, frogs actually have ears right behind their eyes. They rely on their hearing to find their way around nature, find food, communicate with each other, and escape danger. Some frogs have even developed the ability to communicate with ultrasound.
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Featured Image Credit: PetlinDmitry, Shutterstock
