Translations:AY Honors/Amphibians/Answer Key/17/en

Pseudacris crucifer

Spring Peeper (Pseudacris crucifer)

Where found: There are two subspecies of the spring peeper, the northern (P. c. crucifer) and the southern spring peeper (P. c. bartramiana). The northern is similar to the southern except for a strong dark marking on the southern frog's belly. The southern spring peeper is limited to northern Florida and southern Georgia, while the northern can be found all over the east of the USA and eastern Canada.

Description: The spring peeper is a small frog, attaining an adult size between 0.75 and 1.5 inches (up to 40mm) long. They have a dark cross on their backs roughly in the shape of an "X", though sometimes the marking may be indistinct. The color variations of the spring peeper are mostly tan, brown, olive green, or gray. Females are lighter-colored, while males are slightly smaller and usually have dark throats. Spring peepers are nocturnal frogs, so they are mostly heard but not seen. And they are especially easy to hear due to their extremely loud mating call which gives them the name "peeper".