Our earliest frogs

Of all of Ohio's frogs, the Wood Frog is best suited for winter.   Early spring fluctuates wildly from  balmy breezes with temperatures spiking into the 50-60's to cold windy, snow-splattered days. Wood Frog isn't phased. Truly a cold weather frog, range maps indicate their presence well into Alaska. This freeze-tolerant species can really "break the ice" at those vernal pool parties.

Wood Frog,       photo by John Howard

What to wear?  Wood Frogs' skin coloring ranges from tans and browns to PINK?  And, they have a "bandit' mask like a raccoon!  Did I mention their calls sound like a duck's "quack" or "clack"?  Seriously, it is all true.  You just can't make up stories like this! 

Once I found Wood Frogs on my property, my whole life changed.  Who could imagine a frog that lives in a forest and only visits the water once a year?  Endlessly fascinating and barely known among "'normal" people. Certainly, if I have the power, they would be protected in my own yard.  Thus, the vernal pool in the side yard was reclaimed from the drainage-tiled lawn.


Wood Frogs in amplexus,     photo by John Howard

"How about a hug, big girl?"  The males (on top) are slightly smaller, but their forearms and thumbs are swollen to a larger-than-normal size in the spring.  "All the better to clasp you with, my Dear." 

 

This is called amplexus- the male holds tight and fertilizes the female's eggs as they are being laid.



Wood Frog eggs,   photo by John Howard

Frog and salamander eggs can be distinguished by numerous characteristics.  Wood Frogs lay small eggs in clumps. Toads lay their aquatic eggs in strings or lines.  Salamaders' eggs are often "glued" to a stick or stem protruding from the water.

 

Spring is well upon us, and I hope you will take advantage of the excitement that only occurs this time of year.  Spring Peepers, Wood Frogs and many other amphibians are gathering at a vernal pool near you. 

 

Go ahead.  Look a little...  I won't tell.

 



Vernal pools spring to life

In a desperate attempt to banish winter, John Howard arranged an Adams County foray for any signs of spring. Morning temperatures were still hovering in the 40's when we staged an assault on a vernal pool.

Vernal pools are ephemeral ponds, generally holding water January through July. They are the breeding grounds for many frog and salamander species, and if they held water all year- fish would be present and predate the eggs of the other life forms.





So here we are- tapping the keg, so to speak. Jim McCormac "handles" the ice breaking for this crew, consisting of (standing) Nina Harfman, John Howard, Janet Creamer, Bob Scott Placier and me.

Janet and Nina are the ultimate tomboys, and two of my favorite almost-adults. Here they are inspecting a larva of an immature Marble Salamander, Ambystoma opacum.

The earliest of the salamanders to breed, egg laying time for Marbled Salamander is late fall. They have a fascinating life-history, but I'll leave that up to the others to tell, as they each have nature blogs as well, and are far more knowledgeable on that topic.

While the others were making over icy salamanders, your Weedpicker wandered off to study the seed, or achenes of a Buttonbush, Cephalanthus occidentalis. This is one of my favorite wetland plant species and the seeds are a common food for waterfowl, especially the Wood Duck.

Just to give a hint of things to come, the Buttonbush flower will look this in a few months. Butterflies and bees are highly attracted to these globular florets.


Vernal pools and wetlands are important to our native wildlife. If you are interested in learning more about wetlands and the biodiversity they host, sign up for the amazing $25.00 program Managing Wetlands for Biodiversity on April 10th in Ashland Ohio. We will have 3 of Ohio's top wetland experts, Gregg Lipps, Dr Jim Bissell, and John Mack speaking and leading trips into the field.

For more information and registration form go to http://fowl.org/events/. It is hosted by Friends of Wetlands and Greater Mohican Audubon Society. Seating is limited to 75- so don't delay!