Chorus Frogs

Despite the less-than-ideal photography conditions, this is most likely a Spring Peeper we met in the wetlands near the Duke Farms Orientation Center. Even if the picture doesn't capture the raw power and majesty of the inch-long Spring Peeper, it's still an excuse to talk about them.

Spring Peepers are a type of chorus frog, and they have 2 relatives in New Jersey: New Jersey Chorus Frog and the Upland Chorus Frog. Their vocalizations aren't terribly different:

  1. Spring Peeper: "Peep!"
  2. New Jersey Chorus Frog: "Creek!"
  3. Upland Chorus Frog: "Creek!" "Preep!"
It's surprisingly difficult to find these frogs even when you hear them singing all around you:
  1. They camouflage well.
  2. May be in water that's reflecting sunlight/flashlight glare.
  3. The ones in your immediate vicinity will sometimes go quiet when you're around them.
This program was in the evening, but even in broad daylight it's much easier to hear these guys than it is to spot them.

I think we can be fairly confident that this was a Spring Peeper because:
  1. New Jersey Chorus Frogs live in the southern half of New Jersey; AFAIK there are no populations of them in this area.
  2. While Spring Peepers have a reputation for singing early in the year, Upland Chorus Frogs actually sing even earlier in February.
  3. Finally, Spring Peepers are considered the most abundant of our chorus frog community.
March 25, 2023 at Duke Farms
Photo 282937156, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

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