Peeper on a Leaf by Jamuudsen

Last night (and this morning as I wrote this) I heard the very Michigan sound of spring peepers calling. Rather than search around for news (which would most likely be unpleasant), I decided to gather up some spring peeper information that you can use to amaze your friends. Of pseudacris crucifer, the Michigan DNR says:

Spring peepers are one of the earliest callers among the dozen frog species found in Michigan. During the first warm evenings of spring in late March or early April through May, their distinctive single note, high pitched “peep” is considered a harbinger of spring. The intensity of calling increases and can become a deafening chorus during humid evenings or just after a warm spring rain when many males congregate.

Only the male frogs call. They establish territories near the edge of permanent or ephemeral wetlands. They may call from elevated perches of submerged grass or shrubs near the water. The faster and louder a male sings, the more likely he is to attract a mate*.

Spring Peeperpedia

The amazing Animal Diversity Web at UM has a great collection on Spring Peepers that includes information about habitat, classification and behavior and also features photos and calls. Speaking of sounds, this Wikimedia player has a long audio track of spring peepers.

You can also a slideshow of spring peeper photos from Flickr, a nice page of peeper pics from UC-Berkley, a short video of a spring peeper peeping or click for a nighttime video featuring the sounds of a chorus of peepers.

* sort of like American Idol I guess.