Jane Lindholm

This little peeper stopped for a break on our porch door last night. We love seeing them stop by in the spring, but this is the first year we’ve seen one on our door in the fall. Peepers hibernate close to their breeding ponds, though we don’t have any ponds or vernal pools right near our house, so they must be traveling a little bit at least!

And peepers don’t overwinter in the water. They hunker down in leaf litter and have a special antifreeze that prevents ice crystals from forming in their cells. They can freeze almost solid as their metabolism all but shuts down. 🥶 Then they thaw out and hop back to their breeding pond in the spring!