Spring peeper (Pseudacris crucifer)

Sometimes known as "pinkletinks," "tinkletoes," and "pink-tinks."

Description: 

Spring peepers are about 1 to 1½ inches long. Their color depends on the temperature. It ranges from gray to brown, and can also be red or orange. There is usually an X-shaped mark on their backs, and a stripe and bar on their heads.

Habitat: 

Peepers inhabit wooded areas and the edges surrounding them, and avoid open areas. They are not found near large bodies of water, but they breed in small wetlands, ponds, and temporary pools of water.

Range: 

Central and eastern Canada and United States.

Diet: 

Peepers hunt at night or during the day in deep forests, in low vegetation. They prey on beetles, ants, flies, spiders, and other small invertebrates.

Life Span: 

About three years.

Family Life: 

In the south, peepers breed between October and March; in the north, they breed between March and June. They lay 900, and sometimes up to 1,000 eggs. Tadpoles form in about three months. In cold weather, peepers hibernate under logs and bark. They can endure freezing weather to some extent, because the water in their bodies can freeze, while certain sugars in peepers' bodies prevent their organs from freezing. Their calls can be heard up to 2½ miles depending on the number of peepers in the area. 

Status: 

Least concern. However, the loss of wetlands that serve as peepers' breeding grounds mean that populations are being affected. In Iowa and Kansas, peepers are considered threatened.