"Be the Animal" by Heidi

Spring Peeper

In early spring from March to May, I am laying my eggs. My eggs are really small, smaller than a grain of rice. I lay up to 1000 eggs and attach them to sticks and then brush them underneath the water. Even though I am a tree frog, I don’t climb above knee level. I am not that noticeable to a lot of people. I am about the size of a nickel with an X on my back. Since it has been about a week since I laid my eggs, they have hatched and are bigger than me, but they don’t have any legs yet. I live in and around woodland ponds that are full of shrubs, branches, and twigs. You can also find me in puddles, fields, and other low places, clinging to stalks of grass or perched on the edge. I don’t just eat flies, I also eat insects like ants and water bugs. Even though I am very friendly, I have a lot of predators. When I’m a tadpole I have to watch out for the diving beetle larva and when I’m an adult I have to look out for skunks, snakes, and even larger frogs.