Wood Frog
Lithobates sylvaticus
Conservation Status:
State Status: Apparently Secure
Global Assessment: Least Concern
Photographed by Eric M. Powell in Glastonbury
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Description
Wood frogs grow to become two to three inches long. They can come in many colors, most often brown to tan, but also appearing more gray, pink, or orange. This color often changes, due to sunlight exposure darkening the skin tone. They have a patch behind each eye that resembles a mask, which varies from light to dark brown. These frogs have pale stomachs with some mottling, and prominent dorsolateral ridges that start behind their eyes and go all the
way down the back. Females usually grow to be larger than males.
Habitat
This species can be found in forested areas, most commonly with oak, maple, or beech trees. Over the summer and warmer months, they prefer woodlands, swamps, and ravines, but spend the fall in uplands.
Behavior
Wood frogs are generally diurnal. They
have freeze tolerance, meaning their blood and tissue is able to freeze over the winter and thaw out once it warms up. They can tolerate as much as 65 to 70% of their total body water freezing. They eat many small invertebrates, such as bugs and arachnids, and hunt by lunging at their prey. Tadpoles eat detritus and algae. This species breeds in vernal pools, and are within the group of frogs that breed right when the snow melts. They will attach their eggs to vegetation and other objects submerged underwater.
Range
Present
