You might not see this little frog but you will have no trouble hearing them. Find
out all about the frog that is the size of a small paper clip. Photos thanks to John Howard.
Our sources for this episode include:
Step outside and stay awhile
Step outside and stay awhile
You might not see this little frog but you will have no trouble hearing them. Find
out all about the frog that is the size of a small paper clip. Photos thanks to John Howard.
Our sources for this episode include:
i don’t know why it has taken me so long to listen/find you guys!
i loved it! it was great hearing you both, bob and bill. i miss you!
Glad you like it! We miss seeing you as well.
We are just now getting warm enough for the possibility of the wood frogs and spring peepers to begin emerging here in southern Vermont. When your podcasts on these two critters came out, we were experiencing several snow storms and freezing temperatures (even getting down into the single digits).
For six years, I lived right next to a large pond and several vernal pools…this brought the gift of having five different species of frogs and toads mating by my home. l loved falling asleep to the cacophony. Over those five years, I started viscerally realizing how the wood frogs would only be out “quacking” for about 4-7 days and then gone. Meanwhile, the spring peepers would be going strong for a good month.
That got me curious…why? I dug into the very useful “A Field Guide to the Animals of Vernal Pools” by Leo P. Kenney and Matthew R. Burne. It is published by the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program & Vernal Pool Association. This little book has way more information than any of the major Reptile and Amphibian field guides commonly available.
According to this field guide, Wood Frog eggs need approximately 28 days to develop and hatch. Appears to take about another 4-6 weeks for the tadpoles to develop and form legs et al.
Spring peeper eggs, on the other hand, only need 4-10 days to develop and hatch. The tadpoles take 5-8 weeks to develop to adulthood.
Reading all that, I realized that the Wood Frogs have a much narrower window than spring peepers to lay eggs in vernal pools in time to develop, hatch and mature before the vernal pools dry up.
Thanks for the book recommendation! I am going to order one today.