The eggs develop into tadpoles, the tadpoles develop into froglets, and then, as frogs, they leave the pond. This migration is not something they have a choice about. The frogs' and salamanders' reproduction is critical, says Zamudio. Most creatures do not migrate across roads to breeding areas en masse like this. If something goes wrong, or if too many get killed, large numbers of other individuals could be at reproductive risk.
Spring peepers live in forests and feast on mosquitoes and flies.
Each spring, the peepers climb down from the trees and travel to water, where they meet other peepers, court, breed and lay eggs, says Grant. What this means is that hundreds or even thousands of frogs or salamanders may emerge on a single rainy, warm, spring night and cover the roads on their way to the pond. This mass emergence is a double-edged sword. It's in our best interest to conserve these amphibians because they eat insects, such as the disease-carrying mosquito. Click for a demo and more information.