#BenInNature is on vacation!

September 11, 2020

#BenInNature is on vacation! While he's out, we're going to look back at the first daily nature updates from way back in March! The following post was originally published March 23, 2020.

Have you ever walked past a pond or a swamp at night during the spring and heard a high-pitched peeping sound coming from about a million different sources? What you heard was the appropriately-named spring peeper (Psuedacris crucifer). These little guys (they can grow a hair over an inch long) are chorus frogs that breed during the early spring, and they're among the very first frogs that begin calling when the weather starts to turn warm. They prefer to live in the woods near bodies of water, and they emerge at night to hunt for insects (and in this case, hang out on my back porch). The genus name "Psuedacris" means "false locust," while the species name "crucifer" is derived from the Latin for "cross-bearing." This is because spring peepers are easily identified by the cross-like pattern that usually appears on their backs. #BenInNature

About #BenInNature
Social distancing can be difficult, but it presents a great opportunity to become reacquainted with nature. While he is working from home, Administrator of Science Ben Williams is venturing outdoors each day to record a snapshot of the unique sights that can be found in the natural world.