Species

Spring peeper

Pseudacris crucifer

A tiny treefrog marked with an X whose high, piercing peeps are the first sound of spring.

Photo Christine Young (opens in a new tab) / iNaturalist, CC BY 4.0 (opens in a new tab)

Communication

At a glance

Size: About 2 to 3.5 cm long
Habitat: Woodland near ponds, swamps and ditches
Diet: Small insects and spiders
In Georgia: Common statewide
Voice: A high, clear "peep" repeated about once a second; together, a ringing chorus
Rabies vector: No

Identification

Key marks: Small, tan to brown with a dark X on the back
Told apart from: Chorus frogs, which have stripes or spots instead of an X
Where to look: Heard far more than seen; calling from shrubs over water

Behaviour

Spring peepers call from late winter, often while there is still frost. The males' high peeps can be heard half a mile away. They spend the rest of the year in woods, and can survive partial freezing in winter.

Why they matter

They eat small insects and are food for many animals. Their chorus is, for many people, the first sign of spring.

Reproduction and lifecycle

Eggs — Laid singly on submerged plants, up to about a thousand
Hatching — In a week or two
Tadpoles — Change into frogs in 2 to 3 months
Maturity — Within a year
Lifespan — A few years
Calling — From winter into spring

Living around people

Keeping small, fishless ponds and wet woods keeps peepers calling.

Misconceptions

Loud peeping in winter is birds. In Georgia it is often spring peepers.

Related species

Seasonal activity

When this species is breeding, and when there are nests on the ground. Mowing during the shaded months is how most nests are found.

Breeding and active nests by month for this species
	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Breeding	Jan: no	Feb: no	Mar: no	Apr: no	May: no	Jun: no	Jul: no	Aug: no	Sep: no	Oct: no	Nov: no	Dec: no
Active nests	Jan: no	Feb: no	Mar: no	Apr: no	May: no	Jun: no	Jul: no	Aug: no	Sep: no	Oct: no	Nov: no	Dec: no
Notes	Calling on mild nights	Calling and breeding	Breeding	Breeding	Young frogs	In woods	In woods	In woods	In woods	Some autumn calling	Sheltering	Calling on mild nights

Where it lives

Recorded in 41 states and provinces. Each one links to the other animals there, and to the rehabilitators licensed for them.

Canada

If you found one

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