CHORDATA
By Flickr user
bartolo 100
THE SPRING PEEPER FROG
Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Characteristics: Spring peepers are tan or
brown in color with dark lines that form a
telltale X on their backs. They grow to about
1.5 inches (3.8 centimeters) in length, and
have large toe pads for climbing, although
they are more at home amid the loose debris
of the forest floor.
They begin their familiar sleigh-bell-like
chorus right around the beginning of spring.
Close Relatives: Tree Frog, Chorus Frog,
Clawed Frog, Cricket Frog, Green Frog.
Habitat: Found in wooded areas and grassy
lowlands near ponds and swamps in the
central and eastern parts of Canada and the
United States.
Position in Food Chain:They are nocturnal
creatures, hiding from their many predators
during the day and emerging at night to feed
on such delicacies as beetles, ants, flies, and
spiders. Many predators attack adult peepers,
including salamanders, owls, large spiders,
snakes, and other birds.
Adaptation: all weather conditions taken into
account seem to determine the relative
number of chorusing males at a given time.
Reproduction: Males begin mating rituals
shortly after the end of hibernation. The
males will gather at small pools by the
hundreds. Each male establishes a small
territory and begins calling quite frequently.
This call is described as a shrill "peep peep
peep. Female spring peepers typically
choose mates in a size-selective fashion.
Larger males are preferred and are more
successful breeders.
Other Interesting info: Spring peepers are
known for their high piping whistle consisting
of a single clear note repeated on intervals.
The males sing, normally doing so in trios,
the one who starts each round is usually the
deepest voiced. During the daytime,
peepers often call during light rains or in
cloudy weather. They are usually silent at the
end of summer, but call from forests during By Flickr user Artisan
the fall.
<Ref> http://encarta.msn.com/related_761552464_1/ Henna
types_of_frogs.html<Ref>
<Ref> http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/
accounts/information/<REFPseudacris_crucifer.html
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