Book 4, Question 134
Why Do Crickets Chirp After Sunset?
A male cricket rubs a file on one wing against a scraper on the other wing to make a chirp. The chirp is a night advertisement that says, I am here, and I am your kind. Cooler, darker hours hide him from some hunters that use sight.
From the book
Page from A Million Whys Book 4
More fun facts
- A male cricket has different calls: a long-distance call to reach females, and a courtship song of high-pitched ticks when a female comes close.
- Males also make an aggressive call when competing with other males nearby.
- How fast a cricket chirps goes up and down with the temperature of the air around it.
- NOAA shares a cricket thermometer: count the chirps in 15 seconds, multiply by 0.714 and add 46.5 to estimate the temperature in Fahrenheit.
- In summer, male crickets repeat their calls over and over, night after night, hoping to attract a mate.
Sources: NOAA, Natural History Museum, London
Questions kids ask
Can a cricket tell you the temperature?
Roughly, yes. Crickets chirp faster when it is warmer, so counting chirps gives a good guess.