Hey there! Have you ever tried making different animal sounds? Maybe you like to quack like a duck or moo like a cow. My friend Squeaks is great at squeaking like a rat! But today, let’s talk about a special sound you might hear in the summer. Can you guess which animal makes it?
Listen closely. [Cicada Call] Sounds loud, right? You might think it comes from a big animal, but surprise! It’s actually from a tiny insect called a cicada. Cicadas are found all over the world and are famous for their loud noises, especially when it’s hot outside.
Cicadas aren’t very big, and they often use camouflage to blend in with trees and plants. But you can spot them by their big eyes and clear wings that rest on their backs. Even though they’re small, cicadas make some of the loudest animal sounds in the world!
Here’s something cool: cicadas spend most of their lives underground. It takes them either 13 or 17 years to grow up! While they’re growing, they stay hidden underground to stay safe from animals that might want to eat them. When they’re finally old enough and it’s warm outside, they come out to see the world for the first time.
Once cicadas come above ground, they don’t live for long—just a few weeks. During this time, they need to find a partner to have baby cicadas with. So, the male cicadas make a REALLY loud noise to let the female cicadas know they’re there.
Cicadas make noises differently from other animals. They don’t use their mouths like we do. Instead, they have a special body part called a tymbal. Each cicada has two tymbals, one on each side of its body. These tymbals are made of a thin material called a membrane, with thicker stripes that look like ribs.
When a cicada wants to make noise, it pulls the ribs of its tymbal together quickly, creating clicking sounds. It’s a bit like making noise with a bendy straw. The clicks happen so fast that they blend into one big, loud sound. Some cicadas can be as loud as a motorcycle engine!
One of the loudest cicadas is the Walker’s Cicada, found in North America. They can be as loud as a car horn, which can hurt your ears after a while. But if there’s a female cicada nearby, she’ll definitely hear it and fly over to find the noisy male cicada.
So, if you hear a loud buzzing sound in the trees this summer, you’ll know it’s a cicada nearby! Have you ever heard cicadas in your neighborhood? What’s the loudest sound you’ve ever heard? Let us know by asking a grown-up to help you leave a comment or send us an email at [email protected]. See you next time!
Sound Detective: Go outside with a grown-up and listen for different sounds in nature. Can you hear any cicadas? Try to imitate the sound you hear. If you can’t find cicadas, listen for other insects or birds and try to mimic their sounds. Discuss with your grown-up how these sounds might help the animals communicate or stay safe.
Cicada Craft: Create your own cicada using craft materials like paper, markers, and glue. Draw big eyes and clear wings just like a real cicada. Once your cicada is ready, use it to act out the life cycle of a cicada, from living underground to making loud noises in the trees. Share your cicada’s story with your family.
Sound Experiment: With a grown-up’s help, find a bendy straw and try to make noise by bending and flicking it. How does the sound change when you bend the straw in different ways? Compare this to how cicadas use their tymbals to make noise. Discuss how different materials and shapes can create different sounds.
