Spring Peeper
Spring Peeper
Spring Peeper-Tree Frog Hiding Under A Mossy Rock
Spring Peeper
Pseudacris crucifer
Spring peepers are small tree frogs, with smooth skin in shades of tan, brown, green, or gray, with lines that form an X shaped pattern on their backs. Their bellies are white to cream-colored, and they have dark bands on their legs and a dark line between their eyes. Spring peepers are well camouflaged to look like tree bark and can make themselves lighter or darker to better match their surroundings. The pad on each of the amphibians toes allow it to grip onto plants, while its webbed hind feet give it support. Although they are good climbers, they spend most of their time on the ground, often hiding under leaf litter during the day. Spring peepers are rarely seen, but during mating season in the spring, they are often heard. They live in moist, wooded areas, fields, and grassy lowlands near ponds and wetlands.
They are very tolerant of cold conditions and hibernate during the winter in soft mud near ponds, under logs, and in holes or loose bark in trees. They can withstand freezing during winter hibernation due to a natural antifreeze in their blood.
Snakes, salamanders, large carnivorous insects, raptors, and other birds prey on adult spring peepers. Tadpoles are eaten by aquatic invertebrates and salamander larvae. Adult spring peepers come out to feed in the late afternoon and early evening. They generally eat beetles, ants, flies, and spiders. Tadpoles feed on algae and microorganisms.
Spring peepers are known for the males mating call, a high-pitched peeping sound repeated about 20 times a minute. However, the faster and louder they sing, the greater the chances of attracting a mate. They often congregate near water and sing in trios, with the deepest-voiced frog starting the call. They begin breeding early in the spring and call on warm spring nights and during the day in rainy or cloudy weather. Females lay their eggs in vernal pools, ponds, and other wetlands where fish are not present. A female may lay anywhere from 750 to 1,200 eggs, which attach to submerged aquatic vegetation. Males fertilize the eggs as they are laid. Depending on the temperature, eggs can hatch within 2 days to 2 weeks. The tadpoles have gills to breathe underwater and tails to help them swim. Tadpoles transform into frogs over the course of 6 to 12 weeks. Spring peepers are said to have short lives, living 3 to 4 years at most.
