One of the most familiar amphibians in this region, yet the most difficult to actually see, is the spring peeper. On a warm night, wander near most forests and you will be serenaded by a chorus of these tiny frogs. The song, which sounds like the jingle of sleigh bells, signals an end to winter and the arrival of spring. Most of the year, spring peepers live in the forest. Well-developed adhesive disks on their toes make peepers expert tree climbers.
Peepers are brown, gray or olive.
A dark cross, in the shape of an X, adorns their backs. From February to March, male peepers converge on their breeding grounds, singing to attract females. The mating call, a high-pitched ascending whistle, can often be heard up to a half a mile away. Males will often sing in duets, trios, or quartets. Frogs and toads produce their peeps, clicks and croaks by moving air back and forth over their vocal cords.