Just Call Me Mercury, Baby

[<] [>]  by R. Eric Smith[+]

13 April 2014

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Drabble Challenge #119

Prompt: cricket

Living creatures sometimes speak to the outside world. They can be looking for a mate, or shouting warnings. Sometimes they merely express content, such as when a cat purrs.

So why do crickets chirp? Count the number of times a cricket chirps in 14 seconds. Add 40, and you'll get the temperature in Fahrenheit, according to the Farmer's Almanac. Does temperature truly motivate a cricket to express itself?

According to Snopes, male crickets are the chirpers, doing mating calls. This only happens when the temperature is at least 55 degrees. Apparently, they aren't in a loving mood when it's cold.

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