Pseudacris crucifer

Biological Overview

Habitat
Low grassland areas, swamps areas, forest.

Diet
Insects like beetles, spiders, and ants.

Role in Ecosystem
Control insect population

Behavior
Goes to more wetlands. Can stand freezing temperatures.

Human Impact

Habitat destruction is caused due to wetland drainage, urbanization, pollution, agricultural development, and climate change acceleration. Humans cause water pollution due to things like cars and fertilizers, which unfortunately cause the frogs to die because of their highly permeable skin and sensitivity to chemicals. Building roads, houses, and industrial building removes both their terrestrial and aquatic habitat. Furthermore, human driven climate change causes droughts, which takes away their aquatic habitats. Humans draining and altering the wetlands destroys the spring peepers breeding sights as well.

Creative Exploration

On a tree branch, where it stands,
Deep in moist forested woodlands,
Lays a spring peeper, small and delicate,
Trying it’s best to vellicate,
At a spider, trying to survive,
Found a pond, going for a deep dive,
In a pond is where it swims,
Moving its tiny limbs,
Spots a green heron trying to hop away,
Little did it know, here comes the beast of prey,
A garter snake, hunting the peeping frog,
Then the spring peeper finds a broken log.
In a log, is where it hides,
As the garter snake slides,
The snake gets out of its path,
Now left alone, with absolutely no wrath,
A spring peeper, as peaceful as ever,
Rarely gets anguished, almost never,
On a tree branch is where it stands,
Lays a spring peeper, smooth and tan,
With an average 3 year life span,
Good climbers, always in a hurry,
With eyesight far from blurry.

Madison D’Anca, Isabella Mastowski, Karson Lardas

Book 6