May is a month when your eyes as well as your ears are engaged. Flowers bloom providing vibrant colour, birds are returning, other animals have woken from slumber and are visiting us once more. It seems too that every animal, insect or bird seems to be talking with one another.
One such creature that always attracts attention with its voice is the Spring Peeper Frog. This tiny frog (about the size of a dollar coin) may be a dull brown colour with a darker toned X on its back, but its voice is one of those that stands out among its peers. (Listen)
The single peep is repeated persistently, and it can be very loud, especially when other peepers are involved in a chorus.
Like so many of its family, loss of habitat is a concern. They can be found during breeding season in woodland ponds, and really anywhere there is shallow water. The human tendency to drain wetlands or pave over them is probably this frog’s greatest threat.
Once mating is done, they will move to forested, upland habitats and reside in the leaf litter…and be much quieter!
So, while you might not see them, keep your ears peeled for this tiny, yet loud little frog.
If you have a few people around and want to create a frog orchestra, here is an activity from our Executive Director, Jacob Rodenburg.
