Wood Frogs
Posted on in Recent Sightings by Hawk Mountain
The Mountain is alive with the sound of… wood frogs!
Hawk Mountain staff associate the distinctive duck-like call of the Wood Frog (Lithobates sylvaticus) with the start of spring, as they are the first frogs to begin the breeding season. The annual chorus begins in late March, just after they emerge from their winter dormancy. Wood frogs are the northernmost frog species in North America and have specialized adaptations to survive cold winter temperatures. Their bodies undergo a complete freeze, a state in which their breathing and heartbeat stop, and they produce an antifreeze substance that prevents the formation of ice within their cells. When the ponds thaw in early spring, so do the frogs!
Welcome wood frogs, and welcome spring!
Photo by Laura Berry.