Outdoor Explorations for Early Learners

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Iowa Amphibians and Reptiles

There are a wide variety and number of amphibians and reptiles that make Iowa their home. People are often surprised to learn of the variety of amphibians and reptiles we have in Iowa. Many of these animals are secretive and come out only at night and may not be easily observable. “Herps” is the names given to the large group of amphibians and reptiles and the study of them is called herpetology. Below we take a closer look at one of Iowa’s smallest amphibians – the spring peeper frog!

Creature Feature – Spring Peeper (Pseudacris crucifer)

The spring peeper is one of the smallest frog species in Iowa – they are less than one inch to 1 ½ inches in length. They are yellow, brown, gray, or olive with a pinkish cast. Like many other frog species, their shade of color is affected by the temperature. Their bellies are creamy white. They have a dark, irregular “X”-shaped mark on their back and a dark mark between their eyes. Their legs have bars on them. Spring peepers also have tiny toepads on the tip of each toe.

Spring Peepers live in moist woodlands and prairie wetlands or small ponds adjacent to woodlands. They are not found in open areas or large bodies of water. They live in trees or on herbaceous plants.

Spring peepers become active in early spring, not long after the ice melts off of wetlands. They are considered one of the “harbingers of spring” in Iowa as their calls are a sure sign spring has arrived! The males make a distinctive ascending “peep! peep! peep!” that can sound like a chick’s peep. A large chorus of male spring peepers can be quite loud and heard from some distance.

Eggs are in laid from early March to early June in small clusters of several hundred on submerged objects and vegetation. The tadpoles will hatch in several days and will complete their transformation into froglets from May and late June.

Spring peepers eat small invertebrates such as spiders, and insects. They hunt for their food in low vegetation. They are usually active at night.

Spring peepers hibernate during the winter. They hibernate on land. Other than their organs, which have converted glucose flowing through them to prevent ice crystals from forming, their bodies freeze during hibernation.

Iowa HerpNet: Spring Peeper

http://www.herpnet.net/Iowa-Herpetology/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=30&Itemid=26

Grow As We Go

Use Growing Up WILD’s “Grow As We Go” to explore the life cycle of frogs. Use the life cycle cards in the back of the book or share photographs of the frog life cycle from books or the internet. Discuss frogs as a class: Ask children if they have ever seen a frog? A tadpole? How does a tadpole change to become a frog? Explore these questions as a class. If possible obtain tadpoles in the spring and observe them as they grow and change (be sure to follow your state and local regulations on possession of wildlife).

Frog Life Cycle

http://www.tooter4kids.com/Frogs/life_cycle_of_frogs.htm

Frogs Are Amphibians

http://www.kidzone.ws/lw/frogs/facts1.htm

Frog Activities

http://www.kidzone.ws/lw/frogs/activities.htm

Book List

Arnosky, J. 2002. All About Frogs. Scholastic, Inc.

Beltz, E. 2009. Frogs: Inside Their Remarkable World. Firefly Books, Limited.

Elliot, L. 2002. The Calls of Frogs and Toads: Breeding Calls and Sounds of 42 Different Species. Stackpole Books.

Hawes, J. 1975. Spring Peepers. HarperCollins Publishers.

Lionni, L. 1998. An Extraordinary Egg. Dragonfly Books.