Shared by Monica Hoel, as Guest Blogger.

Updated March 7, 2022

There’s an American Toad in my backyard. His call is a long trill that initially had me thinking my heat pump had a rattle. Once I realized what it was, I started listening for him every evening, and I even recently heard him PLOP loudly into a puddle.

The thing he has illustrated most for me is why chorus frogs are unique. While that little American Toad is singing solo, it’s odd to find a chorus frog singing all alone.

This time of year, the air is filled with the songs of chorus frogs -- some more unique, including Mountain Chorus Frogs and Upland Chorus Frogs. They might be competing for the same females, but they all sing together in the chorus. I would argue that the most easily recognizable chorus frog is a tiny little frog about the size of a paperclip: the Spring Peeper.

Even though they weigh in at .03 ounces, they can deliver a call that is 90 decibels. Those who study peepers often report hearing loss. This is all to say...no wonder we notice them!

Spring Peepers are attracted to seasonal ponds where the males loudly call to attract a mate all night. The adults spend much of their year hiding quietly under leaf litter or tree bark. But when they are ready to procreate, they take to the airwaves and make their presence known. A duo will deposit eggs in that vernal pool, and within less than two weeks, the eggs hatch, and tadpoles populate the scene.

Their Latin moniker, Pseudacris crucifer, is born from the fact that each one carries a pattern on its back that looks like a cross.

Peepers, and many other frogs, have a superpower. Because of a special protein that protects the water in their cells, allowing them to freeze and not die, they can survive the freeze and thaw cycle of a typical spring.

Now, if they live outside your window, they do make it difficult to sleep at night! But get to know and appreciate your amphibian neighbors. They are carnivores and will help rid your neighborhood of a lot of flies and insects. Check out the Virginia Herpetological Society webpage; if nothing else, going to this webpage should make you laugh.

Hop to it! And let’s see what we can learn from these frogs who know how to sing together as they get the job done.