On Friday she came out of the pen and walked around:
By Sunday, she was friskier than ever! She and her partner in crime, Maude, flew over the run fence and went next door to see what kind of goodies the neighbors were offering! Charlie, Laverne and Shirley are to old to fly over. They only jump as high as the roosting bars.
Spring Peeper
Harbinger of spring, calls of male spring peepers fill the evening air to entice females.
Photograph by George Grall
Map
Spring Peeper RangeAudio
Fast Facts
- Type:
- Amphibian
- Diet:
- Carnivore
- Average life span in the wild:
- 3 years (estimated)
- Size:
- 1 in (2.5 cm)
- Weight:
- 0.11 to 0.18 oz (3 to 5 g)
- Group name:
- Army
- Did you know?
- Spring peepers can allow most of their bodies to freeze during winter hibernation and still survive.
- Size relative to a paper clip:
Spring peepers are to the amphibian world what American robins are
to the bird world. As their name implies, they begin emitting their
familiar sleigh-bell-like chorus right around the beginning of spring.
Found in wooded areas and grassy lowlands near ponds and swamps in the central and eastern parts of Canada and the United States, these tiny, well-camouflaged amphibians are rarely seen. But the mid-March crescendo of nighttime whistles from amorous males is for many a sign that winter is over.
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 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.
They mate and lay their eggs in water and spend the rest of the year in the forest. In the winter, they hibernate under logs or behind loose bark on trees, waiting for the spring thaw and their chance to sing.
Found in wooded areas and grassy lowlands near ponds and swamps in the central and eastern parts of Canada and the United States, these tiny, well-camouflaged amphibians are rarely seen. But the mid-March crescendo of nighttime whistles from amorous males is for many a sign that winter is over.
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 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.
They mate and lay their eggs in water and spend the rest of the year in the forest. In the winter, they hibernate under logs or behind loose bark on trees, waiting for the spring thaw and their chance to sing.
Glad she is better!
ReplyDeleteThank you! Now Shirley is eating them now. Hubby saw her chase and gulp one down! But she is fine. Laverne eats them too. Guess they don't bother the older ones.
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