Crickets are "poor man" thermo's

[EAD063]

Anyone know if there is truth behind this?

F.Y.I.
Crickets are also known as the "poor man's thermometer." You can determine the exact temperature by counting the number of chirps a cricket makes during a 15-second interval, then adding 37 to the number to get the correct temperature in degrees Fahrenheit. If he chirps 40 times in 15 seconds, the temperature is precisely 77 degrees where the cricket is sitting.

Found at:
http://www.fisheaters.com/crickets.html

 

[bugmankeith]

I heard it was proven true.

 

[cacoseraph]

i've read it in my weird fact books, for whatever that is work

there is a specific temp window they are moderately accurate in, and it is only one species, iirc

 

[SouthernStyle]

I read that somewhere, But If I find a Cricket, It usualy Doesnt end up Chirping long enough for me to count....Or do the math

 

[EAD063]

I bought the biggest ones they had once and they made a lot of noise.... Wonder who sat long enough to figure that out lol.

 

[Mr. Mordax]

Here we go: Wikipedia: Dolbear's Law

Apparently it's not the oft-encountered field cricket that's the most accurate.

 

[EAD063]

Here we go: Wikipedia: Dolbear's Law

Apparently it's not the oft-encountered field cricket that's the most accurate.

Thats a great link mantid thanks! Maybe I'll try this sometime.

 

[Mr. Mordax]

No problem. Wikipedia is one of my many addictions, as is settling myths (one of the reasons for being involved in the OSU Bug Zoo).

 

[Timmy]

Who in the world sat down and listened for a cricket for 15 seconds, then looked at a thermometer, then figured the chirp was only 37 less then the temp represented on the thermometer.

Lol!

 

[Alakdan]

I beg to disagree.

The room where I keep my cricket breeders chirp like there is no tomorrow. I observed that they only keep quiet when they are really hungry. But once they are well fed they will keep on chirping. I already heard about this claim and strange enough I listened to my last adult male sing his heart out the whole day. There was no difference in loudness or chirping pattern even though the temp went from 26C - 30C.

BTW, I fed him to my A. mauritanicus after he was done mating.

 

[Mr. Mordax]

According to the article I sent, it's a different species than usually kept for feeders that's the most accurate.

 

[Scythemantis]

I beg to disagree.

Then you must not have read the thread very thoroughly as it was said several times that it only applies to one known species

 

[Alakdan]

Then you must not have read the thread very thoroughly as it was said several times that it only applies to one known species

Hmmm. . . .Got me there!