Pseudacris crucifer
Silhouette: Beth Reinke · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~50%
The spring peeper (Pseudacris crucifer) is a small chorus frog widespread throughout the eastern United States and eastern Canada. It prefers permanent ponds due to its advantage in avoiding predation; however, it is very adaptable with respect to the habitat it can live in. In northern regions, the frog is able to endure below freezing temperatures due to the capacity of its liver to exude and flush the bloodstream with a glucose cryoprotectant which acts both as an anti-freeze in its blood, and allows organs like the heart to enter into a state of protected dormancy. The peeper earned its name from its chirping call, which marks the beginning of spring. Crucifer is derived from the Latin root meaning "cross-bearing", a reference to the cross-like pattern on the spring peeper's dorsal side.
These chirping calls are significant for communication in mating as females choose their mates based on the frequency and volume associated with them. Satellite males who do not make any calls also strategically place themselves near those that make louder calls in an attempt to intercept females.
Temperature plays a large role in when the spring peeper begins breeding as well as the duration of mating. Warm spells result in a massive increased calling rate. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Isle Royale National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Congaree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Cape Breton Highlands National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 5 | Point Pelee National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 6 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Montreal | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 4 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Baltimore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Toronto | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 7 | Philadelphia | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ecomuseum Zoo | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 2 | Cape May County Park & Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Trailside Museum & Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Spring Peeper sighting in Washington on a given day, based on 228 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 10th most-seen of the 18 amphibians we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Spring Peeper in Washington on a given day, against under 5% in September and December, the lowest months.
Between 4 and 7 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Spring Peeper sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.
Among the best
Of the 7 cities where we can rate Spring Peeper sightings, Washington ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Boston (United States, about 10%).
Same family: Hylidae
The closest relatives of the Spring Peeper that you can see in Washington (family Hylidae, Hylid Tree Frogs) are Green Treefrog (about 20%) and Cope's Gray Tree Frog (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Spring Peeper is recorded against all the amphibians logged in Washington (228 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
