Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Jeepers, Creepers, Did Ya Hear Those Peepers??

It's spring!!!  No question about it!  As I was hauling a bale of hay out of the barn last night, just after milking, I heard the peepers down at the big pond!  Spring's for real!  Then again, it's 27 unkind degrees this morning!  Hope they didn't get frostbitten!


Have you ever heard them?  They're LOUD!  In the event you haven't, go have a listen:  Peepers

As to HOW they "sing" they have vocal pouches that vary in size and stretch like balloons. These sacs serve as a resonating chamber, allowing the frogs to SING! 
 
Male frogs vocalize by squeezing their lungs with their nostrils and mouth shut. Air flows over their vocal chords and into their vocal sacs blowing it up like a bubble gum balloon.  This increases the volume of the sound, reaching out to female "ears."  There's a great searchable website called "All About Frogs" that has tons of information: All About Frogs


One day long years ago, when we were living across the road in the old farmhouse, I took a walk down to one of our ponds to see if I could catch a peeper.  No small feat, believe me! 

I wondered at their size....or, maybe more to the point, just how many there were!  The chorus was ear-splitting close up and shrill.  There must have been hundreds, maybe even thousands ringing that pond.  Their blended voices are an eternal feature of summer.  I know you've all heard the sound, at least in movies as background outdoor noise.

Searching for one in "real time" I got down on hands and knees, stealthy as all get out, and sneaked (I like the word "snuck" better, but it's still listed as "improper usage"...but "snuck up" seems to nail it) up on the sound.  Even with all my soft stepping, they still heard me and all went silent for a moment.  But I held my ground and my breath and waited.  Soon, they started up again, and I set out determined to snag one.   As I got closer and closer the peeping stopped again.  I froze.  I was halfway to that grass clump where the piercing sound was coming from and nary a peep.  I waited and waited.  Finally, one timid peep; then another.  I zeroed in on the sound coming from the clump.   Patiently, I waited, and before long the entire chorus was in full throat once more.  I exhaled.  Sneak. Sneak. Sneak....hold still.....POUNCE!  And I got him!  

Slowly, I opened my hand, just enough to see him. without losing him.  I could not believe how tiny he was!  About 3/4 of an inch and smaller than the tip of my little finger!  All that noise coming from this little creature? 

From a museum in Nova Scotia, here's a broad description of their emergence:

"These thumbnail-sized tree frogs leave their woodland hibernation sites as early as late February or early March.   Perched on grasses and sedges at the edge of ponds or roadside ditches, the males call mates with a shrill "peep peep peep". Their brown or gray colour, always with a dark stripe on the sides of the head and dark markings on the back provide excellent camouflage against the dead spring grasses. If the night is cold, Peepers retreat under leaves and stems. You'll likely hear hundreds before you ever see one."

And I can personally vouch for that last fact.  They're a noisy bunch!  And they're awake!  I only hope last night's cruel temperature plunge hasn't discouraged them. It's supposed to warm up today. Welcome back, Peepers!








10 comments:

  1. Elora -- Hey I heard the peepers out last night for the first time. Ever so softly -- not in the full orchestration mode. To me it means that they will amp up the sound as the weather warms. Love, love, love their sound. This was an excellent post!! -- barbara

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  2. You're right, Barbara! They weren't as raucous as they are later on. But it was sweet hearing them, wasn't it!!

    Elora

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  3. Amazing little critters! Ours aren't singing yet -- I always love the sound.

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  4. Yes, Vicki! Strong little guys! So sad about your friend leaving! Hope California rewards her for her courage!

    Elora

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  5. Wow! I've never heard anything like that before. Our frogs(or toads) are very sedate with their deep spring time croaking which stops the minute they spot me creeping up to the pond.No noisy insects (well maybe buzzing bees and the odd grasshopper) so the sound of crickets always takes me back to the year I lived in Canada when I was a small child or mediterranean holidays.

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  6. Aren't they amazing little critters, Ruta???!!! They make a powerful racket that unmistakeably sings "SPRING!"

    Elora

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  7. Haven't heard them yet but I always look forward to hearing them for the first time every year.

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  8. Hi Elora:

    It is amazing to me how far ahead you are than us in terms of signs of spring despite the fact we are only a few minutes apart as the crow flies. I have not heard our peepers yet, nor are our maple trees flowering like yours. In fact, they are just now beginning to swell. I'd say we're probably a couple of weeks behind you, and can probably be chalked up to our micro-climate since we're in a frost pocket down in the valley.

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  9. Barbara! You're my only witness that peepers did peep! I know I heard them! But, this snow has got me spooked!

    NCMW, they're just one reason out of many, that life is better in the mountains, right??

    Well, Thomas...with this new winter element--three inches of snow!..all bets are off that spring has surfaced! No peepers now, guaranteed! At least until the sun gets some warmth back after last night's 26 degrees!
    Elora

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  10. YAY! Ours won't be for another 6-8 weeks but I LOVE the peepers! :-)

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