Spring peepers are small amphibians recognized by their distinctive, loud whistling calls, often heard as an early indicator of spring’s arrival. These frogs typically measure less than an inch (2.5 cm) in length, yet their calls are a familiar sound in temperate regions, surprisingly loud for their size.
Geographic Range
Spring peepers have a wide distribution across eastern North America, extending from southeastern Canada south to northern Florida and west to Manitoba and eastern Texas. While widespread, their presence in any specific area depends on the availability of suitable local environmental conditions. These conditions include the presence of specific wetland types necessary for their life cycle.
Habitat Preferences
Spring peepers exhibit specific habitat preferences, favoring woodland environments containing temporary or semi-permanent wetlands. These wetlands, including vernal pools, swamps, and marshes, are essential for breeding. Vernal pools are particularly important as they typically dry up later in the season, preventing fish from preying on tadpoles. The surrounding forest cover is equally important for non-breeding activities, providing shelter and foraging grounds.
These frogs spend much of their time among leaf litter, under logs, or within dense vegetation on the forest floor. The moist, shaded conditions of the forest understory protect them from desiccation and predators. They often remain hidden during the day, emerging at dusk to forage for small insects and invertebrates. The availability of both suitable breeding wetlands and adjacent forested uplands is crucial for sustaining healthy populations.
Seasonal Movements
Spring peepers engage in distinct seasonal movements, utilizing different parts of their habitat seasonally. In early spring, adults emerge from winter dormancy and migrate to wetlands for breeding. Males establish calling territories in wetlands, attracting females to lay their eggs. After the breeding season concludes, by late spring or early summer, adult peepers disperse from the wetlands into the surrounding forested uplands.
During warmer months, they reside in the moist leaf litter and underbrush of the forest, foraging. As temperatures drop in late autumn, spring peepers prepare for hibernation. They burrow into soft soil, hide under logs, or seek refuge within thick layers of leaf litter, remaining dormant until the following spring. Their ability to survive freezing temperatures is due to a natural antifreeze-like substance in their bodies.