As you cross the wooden plank bridge over a small, forested wetland, you might hear the various peeps and trills of frogs or toads. The call of the Spring Peeper is beloved by New Englanders because it’s one of the first clear signs of renewed animal activity in the warming days of early spring. These frogs are tiny, only an inch and a half long, and are named for their sharp, high-pitched peeping call. In the evening, near a vernal pool, the combined chorus of thousands of these tiny frogs can be extremely loud.

Gray Treefrogs can climb almost any surface using their sticky suction-cup toes. This adaptation gives them the special ability to hang onto vertical surfaces. Gray Treefrog calls are made by the males only.

In addition to the frogs, we also have toads in our woods. Toads look quite a lot like frogs, but they’re much more resistant to dehydration. Because of that, they wander farther from water and are often found hopping along our shaded forest trails. The American Toad makes a long, musical trill that can last up to 30 seconds, but is usually more like 10-15 seconds.

While they have different habitat preferences as adults, the life cycles of both frogs and toads depend on vernal pools, swamps, and ponds, where each species lays their eggs and lives out the first part of their lives as tadpoles. Frogs and toads serve important ecological roles in both aquatic and terrestrial habitats because of this metamorphic life cycle. Early on as tadpoles, they act as prey for aquatic insects. But later as adults, they become predators on insects. Unfortunately, many of our wetlands can be easily degraded or destroyed by development or by runoff from paved roads. Protecting our wetlands is vital to the survival of these and many other wild creatures. You can help by not disturbing or filling small ponds or vernal pools on your own property.

Reader: Chris Martin