I have been told by my coworkers that they have heard their first Spring Peepers of the season. Spring Peepers (Pseudacris crucifer) are small chorus frogs that mark the beginning of spring across eastern North America. You can see this year's observations roll in on iNaturalist here. This means to time to hit the great outdoors!
I was able to finally capture a photo of one last year after hearing them for years. They are very small and inconspicuous little guys (25mm-38mm) capable of the enduring subfreezing temperatures in early spring. They inhabit wetlands and marshes near woods. Notice this one's camouflage against the forest floor. The faint brown cross or X on the back is a good identifying characteristic for the species.
Other amphibians that are now coming out to play are the toads and newts. The eastern newt (Notophthalmus viridescens) is a common sight for us on our hikes through wet deciduous woods, especially in our mountain hikes perhaps because the habitat is less disturbed. Sometimes we are lucky enough to come across dozens in a single day and they are so abundant that we have to warn fellow hikers to watch their step on the trail!
A tip to find these newts is go for a hike after some rainfall. We've been on hikes where a little shower would pass through and afterwards we'd see these little red salamanders everywhere.
The American toad (Anaxyrus americanus) seems to be less picky about human encroachment (though being an amphibian with permeable skin they are still highly vulnerable to pollutant runoff into water). These toads however are more capable of living further away from direct water sources.
As spring progresses into summer I hope you have the opportunity to come across some of the amphibious friends near you.
All photos taken by @funferall.