Spring Peeper – Frog

Spring peepers are to the amphibian world what American robins are to the bird world. As their name implies, they begin emitting their familiar sleigh-bell-like chorus right around the beginning of spring.

Habitat

Found in wooded areas and grassy lowlands near ponds and marshes in central and eastern Canada and the United States, these tiny well-camouflaged amphibians are rarely seen. . But the mid-March peak of nighttime whistling from amorous males is a sign that winter is over.

Color and size

Spring peepers are tan or brown with dark lines forming an X on the back. They grow to about 1.5 inches in length and have large toes for climbing, although they are more at home among the loose debris of the forest floor.

Behavior

They are nocturnal creatures, hiding from many predators during the day and emerging at night to feed on prey such as beetles, ants, flies, and spiders.

They mate and lay eggs in the water and spend the rest of the year in the forest. In winter, they hibernate under logs or behind rough bark, waiting for spring to thaw and have a chance to sing.