(Pseudacris crucifer)
Spring Peepers can be found all over the Trent Nature Area
wetlands. They are numerous in both the Archaeology Pond and Marsh. These are
one of the first species to frequent the Trent wetlands in the spring, appearing
in late April and early May. They are commonly found/heard in amongst the Chrous
Frogs.
Spring Peepers are one of the smallest Ontario frog species, ranging in size from 1.9-3.2cm long. These little frogs are generally found to be a light tan color, but can sometimes be a darker brown hue. Their latin name was chosen due to the cross, or 'crusifix' located on the back of this species.
Calling
Spring Peepers have one of the largest vocal-sac-to-body
ratio of any of the frog species in Ontario. As shown by this picture, the vocal
sac is almost the same size as the peepers body size. With
such a large vocal sac the sound of this species is much
louder than one would expect. When one is visiting the
pond or marsh when this species is calling
the sound is almost deafening and it is often difficult to concentrate on a
single call to find a individual male .Generally though, this species makes
a call much like their name...a loud 'Peep'. If you wish to hear this sound
you can click on the frog below.
Since the numbers of this species is so abundant in either
the Archaeology pond or Marsh, one would expect that there would be frequent
competitive battles. However, it seems as though this species
deals with overcrowding in a non-tactile manner. When there are many other peepers
surrounding a calling site one can often find these males grabbing onto branches
and lifting themselves up. It is thought that this type of behaviour allows
the peeper's call to be projected a greater distance than would be accomplished
if the animal called while in a sitting position. In addition to this evasive
behavior there seems to be a lot of different types of calls that the males
will make if there are other peepers calling too close.
