This past weekend’s sunny weather was enough to coax a few frogs out of hibernation at the neighbor’s pond.
In fact, last Thursday a few peeps could be heard from some spring peepers during a brief warm-up.
However, by Friday morning a dusting of snow covered the ground and there hasn’t been a peep out of the peepers since then.
According to the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission’s website, Pennsylvania is home to 16 frog and toad species.
They include the bullfrog, eastern American toad, eastern gray tree frog, eastern spadefoot, Fowler’s toad, mountain chorus frog, New Jersey chorus frog, northern cricket frog, northern green frog, northern leopard frog, pickerel frog, southern leopard frog, spring peeper, upland chorus frog, western chorus frog and wood frog.
The ranges of the bull frog, northern green frog, wood frog, spring peeper, eastern American toad, eastern gray tree frog, pickerel frog encompass the whole state.
These amphibians “range in size from the tiny spring peeper to the bullfrog. Spring peepers weigh less than a quarter-ounce, while adult bullfrogs can easily weigh over a pound.”
A post on the commission’s website said that spring peepers are one of the first frogs to emerge in the spring and begin their vocalization.
“Nighttime air temperatures of around 50 degrees and rain trigger emergence and calling,” the post said.
“In northern Pennsylvania, peepers are almost always out at least once by April 1,” it continued.
One fun fact that was discovered while exploring the commission’s website is that the males do most of the talking.
“Among the amphibians, the frogs and toads are capable of producing the most distinctive and greatest variety of calls,” a post on the website said.
“Even though the female frogs and toads are able to call, they do so infrequently. The males do most of the calling, and the majority of the singing is done at the breeding sites, because the main purpose of the call is to attract a mate,” the post continued.
So, while the area peepers made their appearance by April 1, it is not known when they may be heard again.
The old saying goes “spring is not officially here until the frogs see through glass (ice) three times.”
Clear skies revealed the moon last Friday.
Today appears to be the warmest of the week with high expected to reach the upper 50s. However, rain showers (April showers) are also in the forecast.
Things cool down to the mid 40s for Wednesday and then it seems like it’s all downhill from there as far as temperatures are concerned.
A pair of Canada geese visited the neighbor’s pond last week.
More robins have shown up and a couple of Canada geese have made an appearance at the neighbor’s pond.
The crocuses have finally opened up with the help of the sun.
The past weekend’s sun also brought some color to the back yard as a few crocuses opened, but by Monday morning they were closed up tight against the cold.
Budding daffodils are seen against the snow-covered ground.
Slowly (very slowly), but surely the march toward warmer spring weather continues.
Monday morning brought a snowy scene.
Two members of the neighborhood deer herd are seen in a photo from the trail camera.
A Walk in the Woods contains photos from newsroom staffer Anna Applegate’s daily jaunts around her neck of the woods. Tagging along on the treks are dogs, Buford, Sherman and Sadie, and goats, Kyle and Kennedy. Applegate manages the Good Times and can be emailed at bigdogs.thederrick@gmail.com.
