Spring Peepers Could Be Maine's State Amphibian, but What Is It?

Lawmakers in Maine are debating whether to designate the spring peeper as Maine's official state amphibian.

When I first heard about this story, I immediately asked myself this question: "what is a spring peeper?"

I asked some coworkers whether they knew what one was, and the results were mixed.

What is a spring peeper?

Some said they knew what they were and could hear them outside their home, while others had no idea what a spring peeper was.

The answer: it's a frog.

Seeing how we're not all in the loop, I thought I'd look into it and get the answers to some basic questions, like "what do they look and sound like?" and "what time of year are they most active?"

When it comes to their distinguishing characteristics, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife says spring peepers are about 0.8 to 1.5 inches in length, making them the smallest frog in the state.

The top of the frog is grayish or orangish-brown with a dark X-shaped marking on their back.

The frogs are active from the end of winter until late fall, according to the wildlife department.

What does it mean when you hear spring peepers?

Some Mainers who are familiar with spring peepers will tell you they can hear the frogs outside their home during mating season.

According to the University of Maine, their high-pitched breeding calls typically begin in late February or March and continue into May.

The university says the timing of the calls is impacted by spring temperatures.

I think that some Mainers who don't know what a spring peeper is will actually recognize the frogs' mating call when they hear it.

That was the case for me. I just didn't know what they were called.

Well, if you didn't know what a spring peeper is, now you do.

And because so many of us are familiar with the sound they make, designating the spring peeper as Maine's official state amphibian makes total sense.

What do you think?

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20 of the Scariest Maine Animals to be Watching you from the Outside

A local raccoon became quite the celebrity the other day when he peaked into a home in Cutler, Maine.

The image was more cute and comedic than anything. However, it did inspire this list of the 20 scariest animals a Mainer would not want to see peaking into their house.

Warning, this list is quite frightening.