Check out this clip of a Marbled Running Frog chorus, as well as an individual chirping! Its call is uncannily similar to the jump noise from classic Mario games—
I recently returned from a three-month expedition to the border between Gabon and the Republic of the Congo. Our team’s focus was on reptiles and amphibians, and one of our key methods involved using audio recorders to study frog activity patterns. This often meant setting up field equipment to capture the sounds of frogs in their natural habitats. But sometimes, it also involved bringing frogs back with us to record isolated audio—yes, even in our tents!
A Frog with a Memorable Call
The Marbled Running Frog (Kassina maculata) quickly became one of my favorites. Its call is not only adorable but also completely unexpected. We first encountered these frogs chorusing in a small swamp on the Charlie Massif, along the road between Baposso and Minvoul. A “chorus” is when frogs call together to attract mates during reproduction, and the symphony they create is both mesmerizing and full of surprises.
Marbled Running Frog in brief:
• Geographic Range: These frogs are found across parts of Central and West Africa, including Gabon, Congo, and Cameroon, and their preferred habitats range from grasslands to swamps and temporary ponds.
• Unique Behavior: True to their name, Marbled Running Frogs are known for their distinctive running-like locomotion, rather than hopping like most frogs.
• Why They’re Special: Their unusual calls, striking marbled patterns, and adaptability to a variety of environments make them stand out among the amphibians of the region.
Studying these frogs was a highlight of our expedition. Moments like these remind me how much there is to discover—and to appreciate—about the natural world.
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