Woman makes an astonishing find after hearing a sound that just 'didn't stop'
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Have you ever heard a strange sound that made you stop in your tracks and wonder where it was coming from?
Sometimes, the most unexpected discoveries happen right in our own backyards.
Keep reading to find out how one gardener uncovered something truly fascinating!
An unusual sound in an Aussie backyard led Sabina Anderson, a Melbourne gardener, to uncover something fascinating.
The noise, which she initially couldn’t place, was definitely not a cicada, and it sounded “rougher, with different tones” than the usual chirp of a cricket.
“It was late at night, and coming from a little patch of soil. I just stood there listening and it didn’t stop. Normally, you walk near a cricket and make some noise and it stops,” Anderson explained.
The chirping didn’t come from a typical black cricket, a species that had swarmed Melbourne during the summer after unseasonal rains.
Anderson’s observations were correct; the sound came from a much rarer creature.
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) entomologist and taxonomist You Ning Su, a leading expert in the field, identified the noise as being produced by a native mole cricket.
However, its call was a bit different from what he would typically expect.
“It seems to have been produced either by a newly matured individual or one that was disturbed. Typically, the song consists of either a long, consistent trill or regular chirps,” Su said.
The curious sound was likely caused by human activities, rather than fear.
According to Su, “Mole crickets are nocturnal and normally start to sing in the evening. Moisture will also stimulate them to sing, so people tend to hear the calling after the rain or the garden irrigation spraying.”
Mole crickets, which are stockier than black crickets, have distinctive shovel-like forelegs that resemble hands. They are often brown in colour, making them easier to spot compared to the slender black cricket.
Su, who authored A Guide to Australian Grasshoppers and Locusts, quickly recognised the mole cricket in Anderson’s yard as a native species from the Gryllotalpa genus. It was distinguished from the Changa mole cricket (Scapteriscus didactylus), an introduced species found in parts of northern NSW.
Despite their occasional damage to roots, mole crickets play a crucial role in ecosystems. They serve as food for birds and small mammals and assist in soil aeration by helping to break down compost.
Su advised against poisoning them, as they contribute significantly to the environment.
Mole crickets’ calls are amplified through a modified chamber, producing a low-frequency sound between 1 to 3 kHz. In contrast, true crickets emit calls between 4 to 10 kHz.
Two weeks after Anderson recorded the sound in November, she spotted another mole cricket in her garden. Su confirmed that it was a different individual, identifying it as a female.
Su also shared his concerns about the impact of urbanisation on Australia’s cricket populations. While climate change has caused disruptions to wildlife, urbanisation is a major threat.
Urban sprawl results in the loss of food sources for crickets, as well as a lack of natural habitats.
“Before they develop the land, they wipe out all the vegetation, and then people grow introduced plants. If the area is big enough, they will wipe out everything,” Su said.
“Introduced lawn grass and plants won’t allow them to come back, because it’s not the habitat it used to be. So urbanisation makes a big impact on not only crickets but everything.”
Have you ever encountered an unusual sound or creature in your garden? Share your experience in the comments below – we’d love to hear what you’ve found!
Sometimes, the most unexpected discoveries happen right in our own backyards.
Keep reading to find out how one gardener uncovered something truly fascinating!
An unusual sound in an Aussie backyard led Sabina Anderson, a Melbourne gardener, to uncover something fascinating.
The noise, which she initially couldn’t place, was definitely not a cicada, and it sounded “rougher, with different tones” than the usual chirp of a cricket.
“It was late at night, and coming from a little patch of soil. I just stood there listening and it didn’t stop. Normally, you walk near a cricket and make some noise and it stops,” Anderson explained.
The chirping didn’t come from a typical black cricket, a species that had swarmed Melbourne during the summer after unseasonal rains.
Anderson’s observations were correct; the sound came from a much rarer creature.
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) entomologist and taxonomist You Ning Su, a leading expert in the field, identified the noise as being produced by a native mole cricket.
However, its call was a bit different from what he would typically expect.
“It seems to have been produced either by a newly matured individual or one that was disturbed. Typically, the song consists of either a long, consistent trill or regular chirps,” Su said.
The curious sound was likely caused by human activities, rather than fear.
According to Su, “Mole crickets are nocturnal and normally start to sing in the evening. Moisture will also stimulate them to sing, so people tend to hear the calling after the rain or the garden irrigation spraying.”
Mole crickets, which are stockier than black crickets, have distinctive shovel-like forelegs that resemble hands. They are often brown in colour, making them easier to spot compared to the slender black cricket.
Su, who authored A Guide to Australian Grasshoppers and Locusts, quickly recognised the mole cricket in Anderson’s yard as a native species from the Gryllotalpa genus. It was distinguished from the Changa mole cricket (Scapteriscus didactylus), an introduced species found in parts of northern NSW.
Despite their occasional damage to roots, mole crickets play a crucial role in ecosystems. They serve as food for birds and small mammals and assist in soil aeration by helping to break down compost.
Su advised against poisoning them, as they contribute significantly to the environment.
Mole crickets’ calls are amplified through a modified chamber, producing a low-frequency sound between 1 to 3 kHz. In contrast, true crickets emit calls between 4 to 10 kHz.
Two weeks after Anderson recorded the sound in November, she spotted another mole cricket in her garden. Su confirmed that it was a different individual, identifying it as a female.
Su also shared his concerns about the impact of urbanisation on Australia’s cricket populations. While climate change has caused disruptions to wildlife, urbanisation is a major threat.
Urban sprawl results in the loss of food sources for crickets, as well as a lack of natural habitats.
“Before they develop the land, they wipe out all the vegetation, and then people grow introduced plants. If the area is big enough, they will wipe out everything,” Su said.
“Introduced lawn grass and plants won’t allow them to come back, because it’s not the habitat it used to be. So urbanisation makes a big impact on not only crickets but everything.”
Have you ever encountered an unusual sound or creature in your garden? Share your experience in the comments below – we’d love to hear what you’ve found!
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