Spring Peeper: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Frogs · day 5 of 7

Five facts

1. Though it weighs just a few grams, a spring peeper can call as loudly as songbirds 10 to 100 times heavier.
2. Males repeat their peep up to 13,500 times a night. As a chorus, they sound like sleigh bells.
3. Spring peepers make a glucose-based antifreeze and can survive their body fluids freezing, down to -8 °C.
4. Some male peepers stay silent as "satellite males". They sit near loud callers and try to intercept the females those calls attract.
5. A spring peeper can change colour in 15 to 45 minutes to better camouflage itself from predators.

The quiz

1. How much heavier are the songbirds a spring peeper can match in loudness?

• 2 times heavier
• 10 to 100 times heavier (correct)
• 500 times heavier
• 1,000 times heavier

Weighing only a few grams, it calls as loudly as songbirds 10 to 100 times heavier.

2. What does a spring peeper chorus resemble?

• Church bells
• Crickets
• Sleigh bells (correct)
• A buzzing saw

Males repeat their peep up to 13,500 times a night. As a chorus, they sound like sleigh bells.

3. How cold can a peeper's frozen body fluids get?

• -8 °C (correct)
• -2 °C
• -20 °C
• -40 °C

Spring peepers make a glucose-based antifreeze and can survive their body fluids freezing, down to -8 °C.

4. What do satellite males do?

• Call louder than everyone
• Guard the eggs
• Dig burrows for females
• Wait near loud males to intercept females (correct)

Some male peepers stay silent as "satellite males". They sit near loud callers and try to intercept the females those calls attract.

5. How quickly can a spring peeper change colour?

• 15 to 45 seconds
• 15 to 45 minutes (correct)
• About 3 hours
• One whole day

A spring peeper can change colour in 15 to 45 minutes to better camouflage itself from predators.

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