Wildlife Wednesday: Spring Peepers

by Zander Hine, Jr Board Member

Have your heard the "Peepers" this spring? The Northern Spring Peeper (Pseudacris crucifer crucifer) is a native frog species that live throughout the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, including in Washington County, MD. These little guys are known for their high whistling sounds, otherwise known as “peeps,” and the peeps are known as one of the first recognizable sounds of spring. The Northern Spring Peepers are born in ponds and bodies of freshwater. After they transform into young frogs, they leave the water and live in wetlands independently, looking to repeat the lifecycle. One interesting fact about the Northern Spring Peeper is the fact that they “hibernate” over the winter, by freezing their bodies, and then returning back to normal temperature in the early spring. Loss of habitat is threatening Spring Peeper populations. Please protect wetland habitat by not disturbing these areas. Without healthy water in our community, the Spring Peeper population would diminish and you wouldn’t be able to hear those lovely peeps in the springtime.