CreatureData

Spring peeper

Pseudacris crucifer (Wied-Neuwied, 1838)

LCLeast Concernfrogs and toads

The spring peeper (Pseudacris crucifer) is a species in the family Hylidae, order Anura. Recorded adults weigh about 4 g. Its IUCN Red List status is Least Concern.

Spring peeper (Pseudacris crucifer)
Photo: USGS · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Quick facts about the spring peeper

Length
up to 3.7 cmsrc for Length
Lifespan
Not recorded
Longest recorded lifespan
5 years
Main food
Not recorded
Habitat
Not recorded
Young per litter or clutch
186 – 750src for Young per litter or clutch
Reproduction
Eggssrc for Reproduction
Active
At night (nocturnal)src for Active
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN)src for Conservation status
Countries on record
Not recorded

What eats the spring peeper?

Species recorded in published studies and collections.

Recorded predators of the spring peeper

2 on record

  1. Ribbon snake Thamnophis saurita3 sources
  2. Plainbelly water snake Nerodia erythrogaster2 sources

Each pair is recorded by at least two independent datasets. A record shows the animal was seen or found to have eaten the other, including scavenged carcasses and young animals; it does not say how often. Compiled by Global Biotic Interactions (CC0 1.0).

References for these records
  • John David Curlis (Expert)
  • https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/204858631
  • https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/246559643
  • https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/152096683
  • PSEUDACRIS CRUCIFER (Spring Peeper). PREDATION. 2012. Herpetological Review 43(2): 325-325

Where does the spring peeper live?

Not recorded

What is the spring peeper?

Quoted from WikipediaCC BY-SA 4.0

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. Satellite males who do not make any calls also strategically place themselves near those that make louder calls in an attempt to intercept females.

Temperature plays a large role in when the spring peeper begins breeding as well as the duration of mating. Warm spells result in a massive increased calling rate.

From the Wikipedia article “Spring peeper” (en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Spring_peeper&oldid=1379441116), by Wikipedia contributors, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0). This block is kept separate from our own text.

What does the spring peeper sound like?

User:Mdf , edits by user:Borisblue · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Is the spring peeper endangered?

The spring peeper is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List: it is not currently at risk of extinction.

  1. LCLeast Concern
  2. NTNear Threatened
  3. VUVulnerable
  4. ENEndangered
  5. CRCritically Endangered
  6. EWExtinct in the Wild
  7. EXExtinct

Category via Wikidata (CC0). Find the full assessment on the IUCN Red List. See all Least Concern species. What the categories mean.

How is the spring peeper classified?

  1. kingdomAnimalia
  2. phylumChordata
  3. classAmphibia
  4. orderAnura
  5. familyHylidae
  6. genusPseudacris
  7. SpeciesPseudacris crucifer (Wied-Neuwied, 1838)

Synonyms Acris pickeringii, Hyla crucifer, Hyla crucifer bartramiana, Hyla crucifer crucifer, Hyla crucifera, Hyla crucifera bartramiana, Hyla crucifera crucifera, Hyla pickeringii, Hyliola pickeringii, Hylodes pickeringii, Parapseudacris crucifer, Pseudacris crucifer bartramiana, Pseudacris crucifer crucifer

Other names and names in other languages (13)
  • Northern spring peeperEnglish
  • PinkletinkEnglish
  • Southern spring peeperEnglish
  • rosnička křížkovanáCzech
  • WasserpfeiferGerman
  • rainette crucifèreFrench
  • MàganScottish Gaelic
  • サエズリアマガエルJapanese
  • jijawejMi'kmaw
  • KruisboomkikkerDutch
  • Shkiminookamik MakakiiOjibwa
  • Rzekotka krzyżowaPolish
  • Свистящая квакшаRussian

Catalogue of LifeWikipediaiNaturalistWikidataWoRMSIUCN Red List

Relatives of the spring peeper

Other species in the same genus Pseudacris.

CompareSpring peeper vs Pacific tree frogSpring peeper vs California tree frogSpring peeper vs Midland chorus frogSpring peeper vs Brimley's chorus frog

Common questions

Answered only where our data holds the answer.

How big is the spring peeper?

An adult spring peeper weighs 4 g, according to values recorded on Wikidata.

Is the spring peeper endangered?

The spring peeper is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, meaning it is not currently at risk of extinction.

What kind of animal is the spring peeper?

The spring peeper (Pseudacris crucifer) belongs to the family Hylidae in the order Anura.

What eats the spring peeper?

Animals recorded preying on the spring peeper include ribbon snake and plainbelly water snake. The records are compiled by Global Biotic Interactions from published studies; each pair is reported by at least two datasets.

Sources and how to cite this page

Data as of 2026-11-14. How this page is put together.

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APA

CreatureData. (2026). Spring peeper (Pseudacris crucifer). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/spring-peeper

MLA

“Spring peeper (Pseudacris crucifer).” CreatureData, 2026, https://creaturedata.com/animals/spring-peeper.

BibTeX
@misc{spring_peeper_2026,
  title = {Spring peeper (Pseudacris crucifer)},
  author = {{CreatureData}},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://creaturedata.com/animals/spring-peeper},
  note = {Data as of 2026-11-14}
}