Spring Peeper, Psuedacris crucifer (Wied)
Eytmology: Latin; crux, cross; fer, bearing
Size: 0.875"-1.5" (22.1mm-37mm)
Lifespan: Estimated 3 years (longer in captivity.)
Colorations: The most promient pattern and coloring on the spring peeper is its cross shape pattern on the back. This cross, the reason for it scientific name, is darker than the surrounding skin and will extend from the head down to the hind legs, although it can be almost absent on darker individuals. Spring peeper's dorsal skin tend towards browns but can have shades of pink in the lighter ones or appear almost black on darker individuals. Their ventral skin will be a cream white color on females, while the males have a slight green/yellow color to their chins. Also all individuals will have a yellow coloration to the skin on the inside of their thighs.
Other colorations that can help with troublesome ids include a darker bar that goes between the eyes on the back of a spring peepers head. They can also possess a line that will lead from the snout through the eyes and continue towards the tympanum. These features can be hard to spot depending on the overall color of the individual spring peeper. It can also be most difficult to get close enough to view these lines.
Characteristics: While the spring peeper is small it has strong, well delevoped legs. The hind leg toes are moderately webbed. Its body is slighting heavy set for its size and the head comes to a slight point at the snout. Upon touch the skin is granular, being coarser on the ventral side and smoother on the dorsal side. Overall the most distinguishing feature of the spring peeper is still its small size.
Habitat: Spring peepers prefer marshy wetlands areas and deciduous woodlands. Often seen in open wetlands during breeding season, it later retreats to the woodlands for the remainder of the year. They prefer shrubs and saplings to full growth trees and as such are less arboreal than treefrogs, however they are more so than chorus frogs.
Breeding season for the spring peeper is one of the earliest in the state and normally starts around the middle of march. They can start to call as earlier as February in years that have warmer winters and an early thaw. The breeding season will last until early June.
Behavior: During the breeding season Spring Peepers will call using a high pitch peep. This can be misleading in how close the animal is located as their call can carry very well. Areas that are dense with peepers will tend to seem a bit deafening with the constant sound. When a calling peeper is approached they will stop calling to confuse potential preditors. Once left alone or they no longer sense a threat they will resume calling.
Distribution: Spring Peepers can be found throughout PA along with the entire Northeast. In Lancaster counties and the surrounding areas peepers are found all over.
Tadpoles and eggs: Tadpoles for the spring peepers are small general never reaching a greater then 1.375" (35mm) before metamorphosis. Eyes of the tadpoles are found on the side of the head, instead of the top. The belly of the tadpoles are a cream color and is slightly incdescent. Their tails crests aare translucent and fairly well developed.
Eggs tend to be small being less than .1" (1-1.5mm). The size of the eggs along with the fact that spring peepers lay their eggs individually makes them almost impossible to find in the wild.
Confusing Species: Mountain Chorus Frog - Peepers will have larger toepads and more pronounced webbing between the toes of the hind feet. Also the spring peeper will occur in many places that they mountain chorus frog does not.
Sources: Arthur Hulse, C. and McCoy C. J. and Ellen Censky ,1998. Amphibians and Reptiles of Pennsylvania and the Northeast. 151-155pp.