Spring Peeper
Pseudacris crucifer
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAmphibia (Amfibis)
- OrderAnura (Anurs)
- FamilyHylidae (Hylid Tree Frogs)
- GenusPseudacris (Chorus Frogs)
- SpeciesPseudacris crucifer (Spring Peeper)
The spring peeper (Pseudacris crucifer) is a small chorus frog widespread throughout the eastern United States and eastern Canada. It prefers permanent ponds due to its advantage in avoiding predation; however, it is very adaptable with respect to the habitat it can live in. In northern regions, the frog is able to endure below freezing temperatures due to the capacity of its liver to exude and flush the bloodstream with a glucose cryoprotectant which acts both as an anti-freeze in its blood, and allows organs like the heart to enter into a state of protected dormancy. The peeper earned its name from its chirping call, which marks the beginning of spring. Crucifer is derived from the Latin root meaning "cross-bearing", a reference to the cross-like pattern on the spring peeper's dorsal side. These chirping calls are significant for communication in mating as females choose their mates based on the frequency and volume associated with them. Wikipedia →
20–30% of wildlife watchers report a Spring Peeper sighting in Acadia National Park, based on 127 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Acadia National Park
Pacific chorus frog
Pseudacris regilla
Gray Treefrog
Dryophytes versicolor
Cuban Treefrog
Osteopilus septentrionalis
American Bullfrog
Lithobates catesbeianus
Green Frog
Lithobates clamitans
Pickerel Frog
Lithobates palustris
Wood Frog
Lithobates sylvaticus
American Toad
Anaxyrus americanus
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️🌙 When They're Spotted
Active throughout day and night · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Cape Breton Highlands National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 3 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Isle Royale National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Congaree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Point Pelee National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 8 | Voyageurs National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Spring Peeper in Acadia National Park?
About 27% of wildlife watchers report a Spring Peeper sighting in Acadia National Park, based on 127 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Spring Peeper in Acadia National Park?
April has the highest sighting rate for Spring Peeper in Acadia National Park in our monthly data.