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March 23, 2021
Ben here with another edition of #BenInNature presented by our friends at Carter Bank & Trust!
One of my favorite signs that spring has arrived is when the spring peepers start chirping! I've been hearing spring peepers at my place for a couple of weeks now, but they were particularly loud and numerous last night, and I snapped a photo of this one right next to the pond.
Spring peepers (Pseudacris crucifer) are small chorus frogs that can be found throughout the eastern U.S. and Canada. They're quite small, measuring between one and one-and-a-half inches in length, and are usually brown or tan, which makes it quite easy for them to blend into their surroundings. You can tell you've spotted a spring peeper if it has a darker X-shaped mark on its back.
While it's not always easy to see spring peepers, it's sure easy to hear them. Take a stroll past a pond or wetland in the evening and you're likely to hear their high-pitched chirping; if you wander up to the edge of the pond, you're liable to feel like you're about to develop tinnitus! Only the males are capable of chirping, which they do to attract females.
Interestingly, you'll often hear spring peepers chirping even when it gets pretty cold out. In the northern parts of their range, they often have to endure subfreezing temperatures right in the middle of their breeding season. Fortunately, the peepers are able to tolerate some of their body fluids freezing completely!
If you'd like to spot a spring peeper yourself, now is a great time. They live in forests near marshes, ponds, and swamps.
ABOUT #BenInNature
Social distancing can be difficult, but it presents a great opportunity to become reacquainted with nature. In this series of posts, Administrator of Science Ben Williams ventures outdoors to record a snapshot of the unique sights that can be found in the natural world. New updates are posted Monday - Friday, with previous posts highlighted on the weekends. This series of posts is made possible thanks to the support of VMNH Corporate Partner Carter Bank & Trust (www.cbtcares.com)
NATURE PHOTO IDENTIFICATIONS
If you discover something in nature that you would like help identifying, be sure to message us right here on Facebook with a picture (please include location and date of picture) and we'll have our experts help you identify it!
