Spring Peepers are tiny frogs no bigger than the first joint on an index finger. In the winter they don't burrow into the mud like other water-world animals, but simply find some leaves to crawl under for the duration. While they freeze solid, the natural anti-freeze they produce keeps them from exploding.
Come late April through early May they awaken, thaw and recover. Then the males start calling out with a chirping sound that grows louder and louder each evening until they've all found a mate.
There's a cow pond on the property here that's a perfect habitat for peepers. An old-timer from these parts told me that her house was across the street from a protected wetland and there were nights when the peepers were so loud she wanted to run from her house screaming, "Shut up!"
These tiny, vulnerable frogs are real survivors - wonderful signs of being sustained and protected. We've all got survival stories to tell:
Come late April through early May they awaken, thaw and recover. Then the males start calling out with a chirping sound that grows louder and louder each evening until they've all found a mate.
There's a cow pond on the property here that's a perfect habitat for peepers. An old-timer from these parts told me that her house was across the street from a protected wetland and there were nights when the peepers were so loud she wanted to run from her house screaming, "Shut up!"
These tiny, vulnerable frogs are real survivors - wonderful signs of being sustained and protected. We've all got survival stories to tell:
- I should have died that night!
- How did I ever get through that awful time?
- Help seemed to arrive out of no where!
- What a blessing!
Recalling my own stories of survival, who do I thank?
