Tendrils

First Wood Frogs of Spring

As the evening was coming to a close last night I was so pleased to hear a sound I’ve grown fond of. “Clack, clack, clack!” An odd sound not heard since LAST spring. Today my pond has been REALLY active.

The sound of Wood Frogs (Lithobates sylvaticus). They’ve left their winter hibernating spots. Perhaps under a rock, beneath a log, or snug under leaf litter, they come out in search of a pool of water to join others for breeding. They’ll breed in lakes and slow flowing streams, but more often seek out vernal pools which won’t have predators that would eat their eggs or tadpoles.

During the day into the evening males call to attract females making quite a hullabaloo.

Within just a couple days there will be MANY eggs in the pond. The eggs laid in the water, as a male clasps a female, releasing sperm into the water to fertilize the eggs. Often those eggs are hatched within a week. And by late June or early July there will be more Wood Frogs here in the woods.

Brenda Clements Jones

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4 responses to “First Wood Frogs of Spring”

    • Hi Anita!

      For this location (which is in central Virginia in the Blue Ridge Mountains), I’ve been expecting and just WAITING for the Wood Frogs to arrive at my tiny pond. Not early at all (for them!). This morning I noticed there was a thin covering of ice on the pond but sure enough, before lunch those guys were in there actively clacking!

      Thanks so much for reading my posts!
      Bren

  2. So happy to hear you’re seeing and hearing signs of spring! My only regret not being North for the moment is to be able to walk down to the vernal pools on either side of my drive to check for these beauties … and to hear them AND the peepers. I love the sound of peepers. Thanks for sharing Brenda.

    • Kathy! So nice to hear from you. For whatever reason I have no peepers right here. The closest ones I know of are a couple miles down the road, but when I drive past that location during early spring I always slow down and lower my window to hear their happy sounds! And right now, YOU are in YOUR heaven and I am in MINE! There’s wonderment to be found all over!

      Thanks bunches for reading my posts!
      Bren