Critterific! Spring Peepers

Frogs that are a Peep Apart

Critterific! will now be a regular feature on KDN because, after all, I am a wildlife ecologist at heart! Additionally, it’s my opinion that learning about nature helps people become more invested, and thus more concerned.  Part of the reason I write the blog is to encourage parents and children to enjoy nature and all its living creatures as well as become stewards of the planet we share.  So now that you know the purpose behind Critterific! feature, here we go!

Spring Peeper (Pseudacris crucifer)
How many of you enjoy hearing the Spring Peepers?  I look forward to it every year.  Each spring, in the early evenings you can hear hundreds of them if you are lucky enough to live by wetlands, a vernal pool, lake or pond in the eastern United States or Canada.  The sound is so pleasant, it’s easy to spend hours outside in the evenings listening to them.

What you are actually hearing is their mating call.  If the population in the area is dense, the combination of all the calls sounds like sleigh bells. I have often tried to locate a peeper by tracking its call with my children, but we are usually unsuccessful.  As soon as we get too close, the peeping stops and we are unable to locate the little guy in the reeds.

Check out this nice little video that displays the lovely call of the peeper.

Frogs, in general, are going through a tough time right now.  Many populations around the world are suffering from disease and chemical run-off from farms and lawns and are in serious decline.  You can help by using only eco-friendly fertilizers and pesticides for your lawn and gardens.

Do you have a favorite frog species?