Spring Peeper

 

Spring Peeper   (Pseudacris crucifer )

It is amazing how loud the Spring Peeper’s call can be, especially for the tiny size. These little tree frogs are just 3.5 cm long, yet their call sound level is 100 to 120 decibels. Weighing in at 3 to 5 grams, gram for gram, they could be the loudest animal on earth. 

We enjoy visiting our local park each spring to hear the chorus of the frogs. The sound is incredible. The males reach the ponds and stake out their claim about a week before the females. The female lays eggs, singly or in small groups. The tadpoles hatch in one to two weeks and complete their metamorphosis within three months. 

 

Spring Peepers are tan or brown with a dark cross that roughly forms an X on their backs. The species has large toe pads for climbing, although they are just as happy in the loose debris of the forest floor. 

Spring Peepers can withstand temperatures up to a few degrees below zero without freezing to death, which explains why this species is one of the earliest frogs to begin calling in the spring. They overwinter on land where the hibernate beneath loose soil or leaf litter.