As we move from winter into spring, the nighttime seems to come more alive. More and more animals will be roaming around, and insects start to show back up outside (if your house is like mine, all the ladybugs have just moved inside for the winter). One of the earliest heralds of spring are the spring peepers. These little guys start coming out in February to let us know that warmer temperatures are not too far away. Let’s talk about who these spring peepers are and why they are peeping.
The scientific name for the spring peeper is Pseudacris crucifer. They are a small frog that measures from one to one and a half inches long. They weigh in at about two tenths of an ounce. These tiny guys are still able to make some pretty serious noise. Their peep is high-pitched, which means that it can be heard from a mile away. I’ve heard the sound described like the chirp from a chick. The trill is brief and repeated at about one second intervals. A large number of peepers peeping at the same time is called a chorus. Large choruses can sound like sleigh bells. The males are the ones making all the noise, as they are trying to attract a mate. Their peep can become more aggressive sounding as they compete with other males for better spots to attract the females.
These little frogs are abundant in Georgia. Their skin color ranges from tan to brown to gray. Their most distinctive feature is the dark X on their back. This is also where they get their species name, crucifer. At this time of year, they start coming down from the woodlands to find a mate near a water source. Once a mate has been found, the female will lay eggs in the water that hatch into tadpoles in one to two weeks. They prefer shallow, semi-permanent pools of water. These pools are less likely to have predatory fish in them. After about two to three months, the tadpoles will undergo metamorphosis and change into a frog. These little frogs live for about 3 years. Most of their lives are spent in the woods where they eat insects. They’ll consume beetles, ants, flies, and spiders. They only come down to the water’s edge during their mating season.
Before coming out for mating spring peepers are in hibernation. They like to hibernate under logs and loose bark. In the winter their body fluid will freeze.
Spring peepers are hard to spot because they are so small and like to spend their time down in the brush. They have large pads on their toes for climbing, but they rarely climb very high. Most of time they do their insect hunting at night. However, if they are living in a dense, damp forest they may hunt in the day and at night. The reason for this is that frogs must be careful to avoid their skin drying out.
If you have questions about spring peepers or other wildlife, contact your County Extension Office or send me an email at Jacob.Williams@uga.edu.