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What type of animal is making that loud, high pitched noise in the standing water in the ditch near my house?
Your noisy neighbor culprit is most likely a spring peeper. Although tough to find due to their excellent camouflage, they are easy to identify with their “x” shaped marking on their back. These tiny frogs make their way to ponds, puddles, and pools of water to lay their eggs in the late winter and early spring weeks. This pint-sized amphibian can be heard from a mile away. The sound they are making is a mating call made by the males with the hopes of attracting a mate. Frogs have vocal sacs that amplify the sound of their call. The peep is the typical call you will hear. As numbers of males increase you may start to even hear some high-pitched trills. This is an aggressive call warning the other males to back off. Most of the year these frogs live quietly in forested areas, but they depend on small, shallow bodies of water to lay their eggs.
Although they can be noisy neighbors, it is a short-lived experience. Once they have all had the chance to lay their eggs, they quiet back down and move to their wooded home. When the eggs hatch, they will remain in tadpole form for about two months then they turn into adults and move to land. I encourage you to head outside at night with a flashlight and see if you can find them. They are fun to watch.
Submit your questions
Are you curious about the natural world? Take this opportunity to learn more by asking a naturalist from the Missouri Department of Conservation. Submit your question by email or mail and a naturalist will respond by writing you back or may feature your question in our newsletter.
Submit questions to:
Email: capenc@mdc.mo.gov
Mail: Naturalist
Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center
2289 County Park Drive
Cape Girardeau, MO 63701
 Male spring peeper calling
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