Turtle Journal Office in the Field
Spring activity demands that the Turtle Journal team be on the road and in the field as amphibians and herps awaken from a long winter slumber. So, as dawn breaks, we saddle up the Turtle Journal field office and head out into the wild for discoveries and adventures.
Wood Frog (Rana sylvatica)
Wood frogs (Rana sylvatica) serve as troubadours of Springtime in the wetlands of the Great White North. With snow and ice still clinging to SouthCoast swamplands, their distinctive and raucous croaks can be heard as temperatures crack the 40s. For those unfamiliar with this special call of the wild, click here for one of our YouTube videos from 2012.
Wood Frog Egg Masses in SouthCoast Wetlands
Yes, an early sign of Spring in SouthCoast wetlands are the raucous, guttural calls of amorous wood frogs, soon followed by the appearance of egg masses. We had been searching for wood frog egg masses for several days, and found them Thursday morning, April 3rd.
Wood Frog Egg Freshly Deposited
On close inspection, the eggs seemed freshly deposited with little development as illustrated in the image above.
Wood Frog Eggs Beginning to Divide and Develop
Yet, by later in the afternoon when we returned to the site, we could detect definitive cellular division and development. The chorus of wood frogs continues and more egg masses appear each morning.