Spring Peeper

The spring peeper, also known as the hyla and Pseudacris crucifer, is a small tree frog widespread throughout the eastern USA. The spring peeper is a small frog, attaining an adult size between 0.75 and 1.5 inches long. They have a dark cross on their backs roughly in the shape of an "X", though sometimes the marking may be indistinct. The color variations of the spring peeper are mostly tan, brown, olive green, or gray. Females are lighter-colored, while males are slightly smaller and usually have dark throats.

There are two subspecies of the spring peeper, the northern (P. c. crucifer) and the southern spring peeper (P. c. bartramiana). The northern is similar to the southern except for a strong dark marking on the southern frog's belly. The southern spring peeper is limited to northern Florida and southern Georgia, while the northern can be found all over the east of the USA.

The spring peeper eats small insects such as small spiders, ants, and water bugs. Its predators include great diving beetle larvae (when in tadpole form), snakes, skunks, and larger frogs. Spring peepers breed in southern areas from October to March, depending on the local temperature. In northern areas, they breed from March to June when the warm rain starts. Spring peepers typically lay around 900 eggs per clutch, but up to 1000 is possible. In very cold weather, they hibernate under logs and loose bark. Spring peepers are nocturnal frogs, so they are mostly heard but not seen.