Question Can you tell the temperature by listening to the chirping of a cricket?

Answer

Yes!

The frequency of chirping varies according to temperature. To get a rough estimate of the temperature in degrees fahrenheit, count the number of chirps in 15 seconds and then add 37. The number you get will be an approximation of the outside temperature.

So, how do crickets make that chirping sound?

Usually, the males are the “singers.” The male cricket rubs a scraper (a sharp ridge on his wing) against a series of wrinkles, or “files”, on the other wing. The tone of the chirping depends upon the distance between the wrinkles.

There are several reasons why crickets chirp. They may be:

Calling to attract a female with a a loud and monotonous sound

Courting a nearby female with a quick, softer chirp

Behaving aggressively during the encounter of two males

Sounding a danger alert when sensing trouble

Crickets are part of the family Orthoptera (grasshoppers and katydids).

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