We’re looking forward to the Spring Peeper’s announcement of the onset of spring, in this installment of #FrogFriday.
The Spring Peeper’s call is one of the first true signs of spring in Virginia. This tiny, thumbnail-sized, frog is one of the first frogs to call and breed in the spring. Triggered by longer daylight and the first warm spells of the year, male spring peepers begin their “peeping”-like call to attract a female. The breeding typically occurs statewide from late February through June in wet meadows, roadside ditches, wet forests, and small spring pools.
The spring peeper is named for its loud, distinctive, single note call that is reaped in intervals of about one per second. Spring peepers are active mostly at night but can be heard calling in the evening and during warm, cloudy/rainy days. Groups of males congregate at small wetland to compete for mates by calling louder and faster creating a loud — almost deafening — chorus of “peeping” calls.
Listen to the spring peeper’s call:
With all of the snow on the ground and the arctic cold temperatures, it is hard to believe that the tiny little spring peeper will be starting to breed and call in the next couple of weeks. Listen carefully as you drive or walk by small wetlands after the first warm rain later this month or early next for the distinct single note “peep” of the spring peeper.
This is a part of our Virginia is for Frogs campaign, where we’ll be sharing a frog fact-of-the-week all year long.
Want even more frog facts and calls? Check out our Guide to the Frogs and Toads of Virginia, available from ShopDGIF.com, a 44-page field guide that covers all 27 species of frogs and toads that inhabit Virginia. Their calls have been captured on a high quality CD that can be easily listened to in the field, classroom or at home!