Spring Peeper - Pseudacris
crucifer
Once thought to be in the genus Hyla these
frogs are now known to be more closely related to the chorus
frogs, Pseudacris, based on genetic testing. The brownish
or gray dorsum with a prominent x shaped mark near the middle
of the back, and a dark mark between the eyes make this identification
easy, if you can actually find one! Males have dark throats
and tend to be smaller than the females. In our region breeding
takes place from February through May, and the clear, peeping
mating call (repeated about once per second) is a sure sign that
spring is approaching. The eggs, up to nine hundred per female,
are attached singly to submerged objects and hatch in a few days.
Metamorphosis is in three to four months.
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