Amphibian Profiles

Spring Peeper (Pseudacris crucifer)

I think it’s appropriate to start out the frog archive with the Spring Peeper (Pseudacris crucifer) . There are two varieties of peepers in the U.S., the Northern (P. c. crucifer) and the Southern (P. c. bartramiana). The Northern can be found around the eastern and central U.S., while the Southern is stuck in northern Florida and southern Georgia. The difference between them is a simple pattern variation on their underside.

Spring Peepers are easy to identify if you can find one. They are tan or brown in color with a distinguishable “X” pattern on their back, have large toe pads with webbed hind feet, and only grow to be a maximum of 1.5 inches (3.8 centimeters). And if you can’t find one, you can still easily identify a Spring Peeper by their call. Males emit a high pitched “peep” usually at night to attract females from mid-March to June. Sometimes, males will trill when another male comes to close to the calling male’s territory.

Here’s a good video of a Northern Spring Peeper male calling. The Southern Spring Peeper does sound the same.

Peepers are found in wooded areas near water sources such as marshes, swamps, ponds, streams or temporary water. Females will lay their eggs under sticks or plants in this water. These eggs will hatch within 12 days – although if the water is warm, they can hatch as quickly as a week. Tadpoles will then change into adults within a few weeks. As tadpoles, they feed on algae and tiny organisms. As adults, they feed on small insects like beetles, flies, ants, and even spiders.

Once winter comes, peepers hibernate under logs or under loose bark. These tough little frogs can withstand most of their bodies being frozen as well.