Have you heard the spring peepers? Do the spring peepers come out in West Virginia? If you haven’t heard these small frogs, you surely will each spring as they start their chorus in parts of West Virginia. For many of us, these small songsters are providing a needed reminder that, while many things look very different from year to year, some things look (and sound) exactly the same.
Northern Spring Peepers are small chorus frogs whose songs are among the first signs of spring across the eastern United States.
Peter Paplanus/Flickr They can be tan, brown, olive green, or gray and are usually only 1 to 1.5 inches in size.
Spring peepers are most commonly identified by the dark-colored X across their back.
Judy Gallagher/Flickr They inhabit wet, wooded areas and are nocturnal insectivores (they eat small insects and are active mostly at night).
Although spring peepers are small and difficult to spot, they are not difficult to hear.
Aaron Carlson/Flickr
The easily recognizable song of the spring peeper is actually the male’s mating call.
Elizabeth Nicodemus/Flickr In colder climates, spring peepers spend the winter in hibernation and emerge in early spring ready to breed.
After mating, female spring peepers lay gelatinous egg masses in shallow puddles, pools, and calm streams.
National Park Service/Flickr (The egg masses pictured are slightly larger than a spring peeper’s would be. The black dot in each egg is the developing tadpole.)
As with all frogs, spring peepers hatch from their eggs as tadpoles and go through several morph stages before reaching adulthood.
ShortBus/Wikipedia Frogs are classified as Amphibians partially because of their ability to morph from water-dwelling tadpoles to land-dwelling frogs.
Thanks, little frogs, for providing us with a welcome bit of normalcy this spring!
Judy Gallagher/Flickr
Here’s an example from Wikipedia of what a chorus of spring peepers sounds like. Can you hear them where you live? Do you feel like you’ll be able to hear when spring peepers come out in West Virginia now? We hope you get a chance to celebrate the season with these delightful and diminutive little creatures!
Peter Paplanus/Flickr
They can be tan, brown, olive green, or gray and are usually only 1 to 1.5 inches in size.
Judy Gallagher/Flickr
They inhabit wet, wooded areas and are nocturnal insectivores (they eat small insects and are active mostly at night).
Aaron Carlson/Flickr
Elizabeth Nicodemus/Flickr
In colder climates, spring peepers spend the winter in hibernation and emerge in early spring ready to breed.
National Park Service/Flickr
(The egg masses pictured are slightly larger than a spring peeper’s would be. The black dot in each egg is the developing tadpole.)
ShortBus/Wikipedia
Frogs are classified as Amphibians partially because of their ability to morph from water-dwelling tadpoles to land-dwelling frogs.
Looking for more signs of spring in West Virginia? There are so many beautiful changes happening here!
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Address: West Virginia, USA
The OIYS Visitor Center
Do spring peepers come out in West Virginia? March 10, 2022 Sarah M. What are some other signs of spring in West Virginia? If you enjoy the diminutive and delightful little creatures known as spring peepers, you’ll be enchanted by another creature that comes out each spring in West Virginia: the hummingbirds! Each spring, ruby-throated hummingbirds pass through West Virginia in April on their way north (and then again in the fall, heading the other direction). It’s a marvelous sight to see, and there are ways you can prepare for these flapping little stars. Hummingbirds sip nectar from flowers, eat small insects typically associated with flowers and weeds, and feed from backyard hummingbird feeders. Check out this article for more information on how to attract hummingbirds in your yard! What’s spring in West Virginia like? While we think each season of the year is worth celebrating here in West Virginia, spring might just be our very favorite time of year. Between the extra hours of daylight, warmer temperatures, and abundance of wildlife, flora, and foliage, the Mountain State transforms into something truly magical in this season of the year. What are the best day trips to take during the spring season in West Virginia? When the weather first begins to warm up, we celebrate in all sorts of ways, one of which is also quite delicious: Austin’s Homemade Ice Cream, in Ceredo. This iconic seasonal shop makes the best cones in the state! For some outdoor fun, visit the Rose Garden in Ritter Park. It’s one of the best rose gardens in the whole country and features more than 3,000 blooms. It’s in full bloom starting in May. You should also plan to visit Berkley Springs for a wonderful spring day trip, where you can enjoy the warm springs and a charming town. Of course, nothing beats a spring day hike, and this list has several of our favorite scenic – and accessible! – trails to hit during this most special season!
The OIYS Visitor Center
Do spring peepers come out in West Virginia?
March 10, 2022
Sarah M.
What are some other signs of spring in West Virginia? If you enjoy the diminutive and delightful little creatures known as spring peepers, you’ll be enchanted by another creature that comes out each spring in West Virginia: the hummingbirds! Each spring, ruby-throated hummingbirds pass through West Virginia in April on their way north (and then again in the fall, heading the other direction). It’s a marvelous sight to see, and there are ways you can prepare for these flapping little stars. Hummingbirds sip nectar from flowers, eat small insects typically associated with flowers and weeds, and feed from backyard hummingbird feeders. Check out this article for more information on how to attract hummingbirds in your yard! What’s spring in West Virginia like? While we think each season of the year is worth celebrating here in West Virginia, spring might just be our very favorite time of year. Between the extra hours of daylight, warmer temperatures, and abundance of wildlife, flora, and foliage, the Mountain State transforms into something truly magical in this season of the year. What are the best day trips to take during the spring season in West Virginia? When the weather first begins to warm up, we celebrate in all sorts of ways, one of which is also quite delicious: Austin’s Homemade Ice Cream, in Ceredo. This iconic seasonal shop makes the best cones in the state! For some outdoor fun, visit the Rose Garden in Ritter Park. It’s one of the best rose gardens in the whole country and features more than 3,000 blooms. It’s in full bloom starting in May. You should also plan to visit Berkley Springs for a wonderful spring day trip, where you can enjoy the warm springs and a charming town. Of course, nothing beats a spring day hike, and this list has several of our favorite scenic – and accessible! – trails to hit during this most special season!
The OIYS Visitor Center
The OIYS Visitor Center
If you enjoy the diminutive and delightful little creatures known as spring peepers, you’ll be enchanted by another creature that comes out each spring in West Virginia: the hummingbirds! Each spring, ruby-throated hummingbirds pass through West Virginia in April on their way north (and then again in the fall, heading the other direction). It’s a marvelous sight to see, and there are ways you can prepare for these flapping little stars. Hummingbirds sip nectar from flowers, eat small insects typically associated with flowers and weeds, and feed from backyard hummingbird feeders. Check out this article for more information on how to attract hummingbirds in your yard!
What’s spring in West Virginia like?
While we think each season of the year is worth celebrating here in West Virginia, spring might just be our very favorite time of year. Between the extra hours of daylight, warmer temperatures, and abundance of wildlife, flora, and foliage, the Mountain State transforms into something truly magical in this season of the year.
What are the best day trips to take during the spring season in West Virginia?
When the weather first begins to warm up, we celebrate in all sorts of ways, one of which is also quite delicious: Austin’s Homemade Ice Cream, in Ceredo. This iconic seasonal shop makes the best cones in the state! For some outdoor fun, visit the Rose Garden in Ritter Park. It’s one of the best rose gardens in the whole country and features more than 3,000 blooms. It’s in full bloom starting in May. You should also plan to visit Berkley Springs for a wonderful spring day trip, where you can enjoy the warm springs and a charming town. Of course, nothing beats a spring day hike, and this list has several of our favorite scenic – and accessible! – trails to hit during this most special season!
