Do you hear what I hear?
Did You Know? The spring peeper has already been calling (and breeding) for months!
Have you ever wondered about the high-pitched, full-toned “peeping” that comes out of standing pools of water in late winter or early spring? After the relative quiet of winter months, listening to a nearby, healthy population of spring peepers can seem almost deafening. The little frog takes advantage of warm winter days to mate and lay eggs while most predators are still snoozing and wetlands are more abundant (think melting snow and precipitation that is slow to evaporate in colder temperatures). The species is an historical occupant of eastern deciduous forests of the United States. It can still be found (or more usually heard) in pockets of deciduous woodlands and meadows or crop fields with vernal pools or standing water. Their distribution map spreads through most of the area east of the Mississippi River as well as a thin strip of land west of the river.
A curiosity: The derivation of the spring peeper’s scientific name is a head-scratcher. Scientific names are often descriptive of the organism or person who described the organism. The Latin-derived name for the spring peeper is Pseudacris crucifer. The species name, crucifer comes from the word crucis, meaning “cross-bearing.” Indeed, through the different colorations that the little frog may carry, we can find distinct X-shape marks and stripes crisscrossing its back. However, the genus name Pseudacris is a bit less obvious. When we break it down, pseudes means “false” and akris means “locust.” A false locust? The animal does call from emergent vegetation, which can include grasses, rushes, and sedges. However, it does not look like a locust, eat like a locust, or sound like a locust! How did early explorers come up with Pseudacris?
When we consider what a locust is (a grasshopper), the clue may lie with other members of the spring peeper’s genus. Throughout Virginia, there are at least six additional species in the genus Pseudacris that are commonly known as chorus frogs. None of them look like locusts, and none of them eat grass. However, to the human ear, more so than the peeper, the calls of chorus frogs sound similar to those of locusts – like a solid rod being dragged more or less quickly over a ridged surface. So, the genus Pseudacris is likely named so based upon the mating call of a chorus frog. If true, it means the spring peeper just happened to be a closely related species who probably evolved a more highly pitched, truncated song than its sister species.
Three easy ways that your curiosity can help amphibians!
Like many groups of organisms, species of amphibians and the number of individuals in most populations are declining. Yet among other functions, amphibians are an important part of the food web, consuming and being consumed by other organisms.
First, you can help protect wetlands in the long term by exploring them with your learners and teaching them how to observe and think about what they see. We protect what we love and we love what we know. Often, the simple act of discovering plants and animals outdoors starts this chain of action.
Most states have one or more organizations that track the state’s wildlife resources. They can include general or specific groups of resources, such as amphibians. If you’re just getting started with frogs, I recommend finding (or compiling)
a list of species in your area – get to the county level if possible
a breeding atlas that will tell you when you are most likely to hear each species calling (the easiest way to find frogs)
a recording of frog calls that you are most likely to hear
In Virginia, start with the Virginia Herpetological Society.
In Indiana, start with the Hoosier Herpetological Society and the Indiana Herp Atlas.
Second, if you’d like to help your learners understand the science surrounding amphibians and also help professional scientists, consider joining a citizen science project. They all have differing levels of commitments, so find one that works for you!
FrogWatchUSA: https://frogwatch.fieldscope.org/
HerpMapper: https://www.herpmapper.org/
iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/
Third, if you’d like to help your learners explore the outdoors or get guidance starting with a citizen science project, join a workshop or sign up for our monthly newsletter. We’ll keep you posted on new or upcoming resources, webinars, and workshops.