Spring Peeper (Pseudacris crucifer) Singing DSC_8233FLC

Each winter I await the heralding of spring by the nocturnal chorus of Spring Peepers. I stood in the absolute dark for 30 minutes waiting for the chorus to begin again after my arrival had quelled their singing. I had to find this little 1" frog by sound location with only momentary illumination. A few outbursts of flash, and he was gone. Spring Peepers breed in semipermanent wetlands and temporary, vernal pools. In this pool other amphibians were croaking nearby, but that is not how I usually hear them. One time when I caught one by daylight, I noticed how very cold it felt in my hand. They waste no time to mate after emerging from the winter.

Filename

DSC_8233FLc_Spring peeper (Pseudacris crucifer) Singing_JMacCausland'18.tif

Copyright

Janet MacCausland

Image Size

3916x5868 / 165.6MB

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Spring peeper chorus spring peeper (Pseudacris crucifer) Amphibian chirping mating call Eastern North America nocturnal X cross crucifix Chordata crucifer cross-bearer less than 1- 1.5” body toe-pads climb vocal sac balloon tan female brown male ephemeral pool semipermanent wetland swamp breeding aggregation temporary pool vernal pool insectivore high-pitched call Hyla crucifer Hylodes Acris pickeringii Parapseudacris crucifer Pseudacris crucifer wooded hibernate vernal pools singing calling call thrills chorus aggregation chirps plinkletinks (calls on Marhta's Vineyard} frog thicket macro micro close-up Nikon amplexus (mating posture)

Contained in galleries

Amphibians