Wood Frog

Lithobates sylvaticus

The laughing call of the Wood Frog is a sure sign that snow will be a thing of the past for another year.

Habitat 

Look for Wood Frogs in wetlands and moist woodlands across Alaska, most of Canada, including the territories, and down into the northeastern United States.

Food 

As tadpoles, Wood Frogs eat algae and tiny plant material, but also the eggs of other amphibians. Adults eat small, mostly ground-dwelling invertebrates like insects, spiders, and worms.

Behaviour 

Wood Frogs hibernate over winter close to the surface in soil and leaf-litter. They can tolerate freezing of their blood and other tissues by producing special substances that prevent cell damage. Emerging very early in spring, they breed in nearby short-lived pools of water, known as ephemeral wetlands. Eggs are laid in clumps that hatch into tadpoles. They become adults in about two months. From their breeding areas, they move to damp forests, swamps, and bogs. Daytime hunters, they wait for prey and then quickly grab it with their tongue and mouth. In fall they move again. This time to higher neighbouring uplands where they will hibernate.

Conservation  

Wood Frogs are common and are of low conservation concern. Local populations can be affected by wetland drainage, forest loss, and road construction because of their wide-ranging movements through different habitats each season.

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