Distribution:
In Kansas, this species is confined to the eastern border south of Johnson County. During spring chorusing it can be found calling from ditches, ponds, and vernal pools associated with riparian corridors.
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Full range depicted by light shaded red area. Export Google Earth (.kml)

• Occurrence Summary:  
• 464
  Records 
• 136
  Museum Vouchers 
• 328
  Other Observations 

Some county occurrences indicated below may be too imprecise to map above.
County Breakdown: County Name (# occurrences):
Atchison (1); Bourbon (36); Cherokee (209); Crawford (132); Johnson (4); Leavenworth (1); Linn (26); Miami (54); Unknown (1);

Fossil History:
Not known from Kansas.

Natural History:
Collins (1982) and Schulenberg-Ptacek (1985) studied the Spring Peeper in Cherokee County, and much of this information about habitat (and breeding) is taken from their observations. This frog inhabits woodland areas near small intermittent ponds or marshes. Gloyd (1932) found numerous specimens of this frog near an open marsh from 21 April to 23 September in Miami County. Rundquist and Collins (1977) believed that this frog was active from March to June in Cherokee County. Chris Stammler (pers. comm., 1980; Collins, 1993) found a single adult Spring Peeper beneath a rock in the twilight zone of Schermerhorn Cave in the same county on 30 July.
This is the first frog heard in Kansas each year. Males gather at small ephemeral pools by the hundreds following rains from February to April and begin calling (a short, repeated, high-pitched ‘peep’) in the hope of attracting mates. This species breeds in small, temporary, shallow ponds and marshes adjoining woodlands. Apparently these frogs prefer a breeding site containing abundant, low-standing, aquatic vegetation in still water. In this situation, males call to attract females and mount them in the water. The eggs are laid singly, hatch in four to five days, and the free-swimming tadpoles metamorphose in 90-100 days. Loraine (1984) recorded 702 eggs from a clutch deposited in mid-March by a female from Cherokee County.
In Miami County, Gloyd (1932) found this species in a breeding chorus on 15 March perched on rushes or sedges a few inches above the water in an open marsh. Numerous Leopard Frogs were calling at the same time. The following spring, he collected mating pairs on 24 March in the same marsh. Rundquist (1978) found four calling males at 1930 hours in two ponds in the Ozark Plateau area of Cherokee County on 2 April at air temperatures of 52-56°F. Two of the males were calling from reeds near the water's surface. He recorded additional chorusing of this frog at another locality in the same county at 1410 hours on 3 April at an air temperature of 67°F. Kelly Irwin (pers. comm., 1980; Collins, 1993) found four calling males of this frog at 2115 hours at a pond in Cherokee County on 18 April. Two of the frogs were observed, one calling from a grass clump and the other in the water at the base of a grass stalk. The air temperature was 55°F.
Collins (1982) reported thirteen male Spring Peepers calling from five small ponds in the same county between 1900 and 2200 hours during light rain on 16 March. Breeding choruses of Spring Peepers, ranging in size from a single calling male to over 100 adults, have been documented from 12 March to 1 May in southeastern Kansas (Collins, 1982). Loraine (1983) heard this frog calling in both a small pool and at a site adjacent to Shoal Creek in Cherokee County on 15 April.
Male Spring Peepers are territorial and defend their territory by giving encounter calls and fighting when another frog approaches too closely.
The Spring Peeper feeds on small insects.

Occurrence Activity:
Number of Unique Obervations (=days): 79; Range: 07 Jan to 07 Nov

Chorusing:

Audio recording by Keith Coleman.

Chorusing Phenology: The black outlined dots denote the Julian date (day of the year; 1 January = 1 to 31 December = 365) an observation was made. The thin red line depicts the range of dates between the beginning of the first, and end of the fourth quartile (excluding outliers; Tukey method). The thick light blue bar represents the second and third quartile (interquartile range; the middle 50% of all observations). Only one observation per Julian date is included in the graphs; so a date with multiple observations carries the same weight as a date with only one observation. The vertical bars correspond to the 12 months of the year; January through December.
Number of Unique Obervations: 151; Range: 07 Jan to 27 May; Interquartile range: 02 Mar to 11 Apr;

Remarks:
The Spring Peeper was first recorded (a chorusing male collected 22 April 1833 by soldiers and illustrated by Karl Bodmer) in Kansas by the German explorer and naturalist Prince Maximilian Alexander Philipp of Wied (Weid 1838: 275; translated from German).
Throughout the day there were garrison officers aboard, and our chasseurs roamed the country. The beautiful Yellow-headed Trupial (Icterus xanthocephalus) [=Yellow-headed Blackbird (Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus)] was seen nearby and a small tree frog (1), which Mr. Bodmer illustrated, was caught.
The following is an English translation (from German) of Weid's (1838: 275-6) original description:
1) Hyla crucifer: eyes large; Snout fairly rounded; Legs long and slender; Belly densely covered with granules; Forefoot with 4 fingers, of which the 2nd (counted from the outside) is the longest; Hind foot 5-toed, the 2nd from the outside the longest, the following and the outer are shorter and about the same length, the rest are short, with spaces in between; Color: basic color of the upper parts yellowish-gray, or brownish-gray, with a broad, darker St. Andrew's cross on the back. Often this drawing consists of several angular stripes with their tips pointing forward, which often form a broad St. Andrew's cross on the back and neck; in other specimens the lines are anastomotic, forming a longitudinal line with a pair of transverse stripes forming acute angles directed forward; the foremost cross-band often sends its two side branches to the raised eyelid, between which there is a transverse band, the angle of which is directed backwards with its tip; a dark line runs through the eye, which continues behind it to the side of the abdomen; Throat dark gray-brown, the chin skin behind the edge of the lower jaw blackish-brown; Belly dirty yellowish; Thighs with dark transverse ties. Legs and thighs reddish-flesh-brown on the underside.
A small, lively frog, whose body measures 1" from the snout to the end of the trunk. The voice is a bright whistle that rises slightly at the end. The throat was currently spherical in the pair period.
Wied studied the plains flora, fauna, and indigenous peoples. He traveled within the US from 1832 through 1834. Based on Wied's published description, there is little doubt that his specimen was, in fact, an adult male Spring Peeper.
Rundquist (1977) questioned whether the specimen may have come from further east as Wied moved up the Missouri River. However, in his account (p. 275) Weid makes clear that the specimen was collected soon after reaching the "... dies der Landungsplatz des Cantonment Leavenworth, eines Militärpostens, (= "... landing place of the Cantonment Leavenworth, a military post,...)"
The species was not reported again in Kansas until 15 March 1927 (KU 55478) (Gloyd 1932), which is the earliest extant record.
Simon (1988) reported 5-10 calling males from a site 3 miles south of Atchison in Atchison County (~ 15 miles northwest of the Weid's type locality). Subsequent surveys in Atchison County, have failed to yield any more observations or specimens from this putative population.
Rundquist (1977) summarized the available information on this species in Kansas. At that time there were ~42 specimens known from only four counties. Later that same year, Rundquist and Collins (1977) added two more specimens. Collins (1982) extensively surveyed the Ozark Plateau in Kansas, resulting in the discovery of seven localities. He suggested at that time that this taxon be designated as state Endangered Species. Anderson and Arruda (1996, 2006) recorded populations in Bourbon and Crawford counties for the first time. Coleman (2010) documented populations in Johnson County. Reliable reports of calling Spring Peepers from northeastern Allen County have been received; however, these are as yet unsubstantiated.
Anderson and Arruda (1996) reported on newly discovered localities for this taxon in Bourbon County. Their work led to the discovery of several additional sites in Bourbon and Crawford counties.
Additionally, there are iNat records (w/ corroborating photos) of Spring Peepers in Platte County, MO (iNat # 79507989) 27 km east from 2019 and Clay County, MO (iNat # 33964764) 34 km ENE in 2021. There are additional recent iNat records from Clay and Jackson counties in Missouri as well.
Spring Peeper populations have a strong foothold in the state and appear to be expanding.
The Spring Peeper was listed as a Kansas Threatened species in 1987 and downlisted to SINC in 2015. Platt et al. (1974) recommended that any breeding sites of this species located on state, federal , or county property, or on the private property of willing landowners, be designated as sanctuaries and protected from disturbance. Collins (1980, 1982) noted the precarious status of this frog in Kansas and recommended that it be designated an endangered species and protected by state law.

Based on a captive specimen, Snider and Bowler (1992) reported a maximum longevity for this species of two years, two months, and nine days.
Vanzolini and Myers (2015) stated that the correct use of Prinz Maximilian zu Wied as the authority for the species he described is "Weid", as in Pseudacris crucifer (Wied 1838). There are many incorrect derivations of the Prince's name as a species name author published.