What is calling?

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NACairns
Posts: 372
Joined: December 30th, 2013, 7:27 am

What is calling?

Post by NACairns »

My name is Nick, I'm a Canadian working on spring peepers across there range but for the last year with a focus on the SW portion of the range in central Louisiana, east Texas and south and central Arkansas. A lab mate and I will be heading down the this coming week to collect calls and look at breeding habitat/community structure. From friends in Nacogdoches I know they've been going for a while there and I heard they just started in Hot Spring County, Arkansas but do you folks know if they are still calling in the south and have started further north? When did they start in your region? Have you seen any females? What other species are going? Also this year we have permits for Oklahoma and will likely be targeting the west side of the Ouachitas so any advice on that area would be most welcome.
Hoping some of the other cool weather herps will be out. Looking forward to posting the trip report hopefully with some calls.
Thanks
Best,
Nick
ImagePlethodon caddoensis by N Cairns, on Flickr
ImagePseudacris crucifer by N Cairns, on Flickr
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Jeff
Posts: 620
Joined: June 11th, 2010, 6:01 am
Location: Louisiana

Re: What is calling?

Post by Jeff »

Nick

Last week a few peepers were calling at midday, full sun, about 63°F, southeast Louisiana at just under 31° Lat. That was unusual, as there have been some good rains this winter, and I haven't heard them calling in a few weeks. I thought it would be over, but there are stragglers.

Jeff
NACairns
Posts: 372
Joined: December 30th, 2013, 7:27 am

Re: What is calling?

Post by NACairns »

Thanks Jeff,
Stragglers are good. It's hard to do Louisiana and Texas at the same time as Arkansas. We'll be north of 31 for the most part from Dewey Wills WMA to Clear Creek WMA but may have to take a break from peepers and head further south if we get ice rain like last year.
We provided Louisiana Dept. of Wildlife & Fisheries with our dates and observations from last year but does NAAMP want them as well?
Here is hoping there are still some going,
Do you find they mostly call arboreally (a foot or two off the ground) down there?
Best,
Nick
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kaptainkory
Posts: 187
Joined: June 28th, 2010, 11:33 pm
Location: Bella Vista, Arkansas

Re: What is calling?

Post by kaptainkory »

Also heard peepers for about 2 days last week in NW Arkansas...but mostly quiet since then. I did hear just a few at dusk tonight. I have a pond not far and it is crazy with peeper each year. I have a collecting permit, so I could pick up a few for you if logistics can be worked out.
NACairns
Posts: 372
Joined: December 30th, 2013, 7:27 am

Re: What is calling?

Post by NACairns »

Thanks Kory, that would be great.
We can meet up with you somewhere or we can pay for shipping samples. My preference would be to meet up as it is less paperwork at the border and I'd love to pick your brain about peepers and other herps in your area. I'm leaving this morning and I likely won't check the forum that often while on the road but please drop me a line at [email protected] and we can see if we can work out logistics.
Best,
Nick
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chrish
Posts: 3295
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 11:14 pm
Location: San Antonio, TX
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Re: What is calling?

Post by chrish »

Nick,

I hope the peepers aren't finishing up in SE. Texas yet. It is one species I still need to record here in Texas and I hope to get some (if it rains!!) over the week of March 11-20 sometime.

So far this spring, I have heard several choruses of Pseudacris streckeri but further south than you are planning to go probably (closer to San Antonio) but they are calling.
I have also heard P. fouquettei calling closer to Houston.

I recorded a few Lithobates areolatus about an hour west of Houston in spite of the lack of rain.

In spite of it being an El Nino year (i.e. cool, wet winter) my area has received very little rainfall as of yet. NE Texas has done OK but E Central Texas has missed a lot. South Texas has had very little.

There have recently (late January) been some peeper recordings posted on the Inaturalist Herps of Texas project (Caddo Lake & Gus Engeling NWA). There are also a lot of mid-March recordings on there from various E. Texas spots.

Chris
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