The Sounds of Spring

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Spring is right around the corner and as air and water temperatures rise, many critters start to come out of their winter slumber to begin breeding.

If you listen closely in the next couple of weeks, you might start to notice frogs beginning to call at dusk and during the early evening hours. Most people can identify the Spring Peeper but do you know how to identify the other frogs calling?

There are nineteen species of frogs found in Maryland but not all of them are found in the Frederick area. All nineteen species have been listed below just in case you are in another part of Maryland and want to know what you are hearing. Click the link to learn more about each species and to listen to what each frog sounds like. How many can you identify in your backyard or neighborhood wetland or waterbody?

Now that you're an expert at identfying frogs by their calls, are you ready to test your knowledge? Take the frog call quiz put together by the USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center. Frogs aren't the only amphibians found in Maryland. They're just the only that can be identified by their calls. If you are more interested in learning about the newts, salamanders, or other amphibians of Maryland, click here.

Spring is also a great time for birdwatching. Over 400 species of birds have been identified within the state of Maryland. Some live here year round, while others migrate through the state on their way to where they spend their summers and/or winters. The best time to listen for birds is at sunrise but some can be heard calling all day. Click here for a species list of birds of Maryland. If you are interested in learning how to identify birds by their calls, click here. If you want to test your skills, you can take the bird quiz.