any keep NA Spring Peepers?

[Frisian]

Originally Posted by jbherpin

A few points...

Peepers are very cool pets. Outside the breeding season they are normally found under loose bark on standing trees or fallen logs. If there is a pile of old boards around in a grassy area within a few yards of water, that is a good place to look. I have a friend who has turtle ponds in his basement. One year he put some peeper tads in the turtle tubs. He didn't collect them(tads) all in time and as a result has a permenant population that breeds year 'round in his basement. They eat spiders, flies, moths, etc. He keeps a lot of things, and feeder escapees are sort of the norm...

In a viv, they will take FFs, the maggots, and Springtails, etc. Small moths, and pinhead crickets. I find them to be rather shy as captives, but will feed openly. Plus, the drab tones are perfect for sitting still and becoming invisible in a well designed enclosure... They are communal, and 3 per 20 gal should be a good ratio; male, female, or any combination of the 2. They do enjoy small pockets of standing water, and will go to these sights to hunt in the viv as well as nature. These frogs are small, fast, and blend in making opening the tank a sweaty job. Not that you wouldn't have known that, or had proper experience...

I hope I have helped in some way.

JBear

I have looked for them in times out of breeding season but never found them. I know a herpetologist (who zBrinks knows, too) who does field work in late spring in Michigan's Upper Peninsula and says he sees them "hoppin' all over the forest floor" shortly after breeding season on moist evenings. I've gone out in deciduous forests in Muskegon County, Michigan and looked for them but never seen them.

I know of one wetland in that county has a deafening chorus during the breeding season. I can find frogs walking around in waders in the daytime, clinging to cattails and other vegetation.

My questions are two: Can you feed a new metamorph peeper fruit flies? Or is the peeper too small for the FF? And, what time of day do you look for them under lumber and bark?

[Ed]

Originally Posted by Frisian

I know of one wetland in that county has a deafening chorus during the breeding season. I can find frogs walking around in waders in the daytime, clinging to cattails and other vegetation.

My questions are two: Can you feed a new metamorph peeper fruit flies? Or is the peeper too small for the FF? And, what time of day do you look for them under lumber and bark?

I've found them out of season in damp leaflitter... Rarely have I ever seen them under cover as described by JBear. I have also found new metamorphs hiding in exposed gravel bars in a slow moving stream.
New metamorphs can be fed just like a small dendrobatid. I've found them at all different times during the day since they are typically under cover. I've been in choruses where you had to watch where you put your feet but to talk with someone, you had to get close and yell to be heard...

Ed

[jbherpin]

Originally Posted by Ed

I've found them out of season in damp leaflitter... Rarely have I ever seen them under cover as described by JBear. I have also found new metamorphs hiding in exposed gravel bars in a slow moving stream.
New metamorphs can be fed just like a small dendrobatid. I've found them at all different times during the day since they are typically under cover. I've been in choruses where you had to watch where you put your feet but to talk with someone, you had to get close and yell to be heard...

Ed

There is a railroad that is bordered by vernal pools and woods very close to me. There is a lot of debris laying around like boards, card board, bricks, large rocks, etc. The railroad slope is gravel/stone. On the gravel side of the pool, the peepers can be found sometimes in small groups(particularly newly metamorphs) under/amidst this debris. On the woods side, they are found mostly under the bark as I described above. This is not intended to be the facts across the board, simply where they are found by me, in my local habitat.

I hope to have helped.

JBear

[jbherpin]

Originally Posted by Frisian

I have looked for them in times out of breeding season but never found them. I know a herpetologist (who zBrinks knows, too) who does field work in late spring in Michigan's Upper Peninsula and says he sees them "hoppin' all over the forest floor" shortly after breeding season on moist evenings. I've gone out in deciduous forests in Muskegon County, Michigan and looked for them but never seen them.

I know of one wetland in that county has a deafening chorus during the breeding season. I can find frogs walking around in waders in the daytime, clinging to cattails and other vegetation.

My questions are two: Can you feed a new metamorph peeper fruit flies? Or is the peeper too small for the FF? And, what time of day do you look for them under lumber and bark?

I normally go late morning to early afternoon. Sometimes early evening, but they are normally not found hiding as the night comes on. Just my experience...

JBear

[jbherpin]

Originally Posted by Frisian

I have looked for them in times out of breeding season but never found them. I know a herpetologist (who zBrinks knows, too) who does field work in late spring in Michigan's Upper Peninsula and says he sees them "hoppin' all over the forest floor" shortly after breeding season on moist evenings. I've gone out in deciduous forests in Muskegon County, Michigan and looked for them but never seen them.

I know of one wetland in that county has a deafening chorus during the breeding season. I can find frogs walking around in waders in the daytime, clinging to cattails and other vegetation.

My questions are two: Can you feed a new metamorph peeper fruit flies? Or is the peeper too small for the FF? And, what time of day do you look for them under lumber and bark?

Here are some pics for reference... The one pic you can see my fingers in the left side, and as a size reference, he was being contained/reared in a FF culture cup. The gold belly pic shows how big he is compared to the lid/lip of the culture cup. I hope to have helped.

JBear

[Frisian]

crazy winter here in MI... I heard a report of a peeper peeping last weekend- very early for Michigan.

[Broseph]

I already spotted a robin this morning! (I'm in Spring Lake).

[Frisian]

Anybody here currently keep them? Any vivarium pics? I'd love to see viv photos.

[jbherpin]

They are simple creatures that require just the same viv conditions as a green treefrog, etc. There is nothing special to note about specific care requirements. A substrate, a few plants, and a small water bowl. Be simple, or creative and you will be fine if you consider basic requirements.

JBear

[Frisian]

My Western Chorus Frog/Spring Peeper vivarium. Caught two of each this spring. They are both native to this area, and they were all caught within about a half mile of each other.