Mitchell Jones, PhD student, University of Maine
Every spring wood frogs thaw out and migrate to vernal pools to breed. The males are the first to arrive to pools and begin the chorus. Perhaps less infamous than the impressively loud call of the spring peeper, the wood frog’s call is no less distinct. It is more of a bark and can sometimes be missed behind the chirps of the peepers. While their calling attracts mates it also attracts predators making vernal pools potentially dangerous places for adult wood frogs. On several of my visits I observed barred owls sitting directly above the pool and camera traps have captured images of raccoons and foxes among other animals.
Every spring wood frogs thaw out and migrate to vernal pools to breed. The males are the first to arrive to pools and begin the chorus. Perhaps less infamous than the impressively loud call of the spring peeper, the wood frog’s call is no less distinct. It is more of a bark and can sometimes be missed behind the chirps of the peepers. While their calling attracts mates it also attracts predators making vernal pools potentially dangerous places for adult wood frogs. On several of my visits I observed barred owls sitting directly above the pool and camera traps have captured images of raccoons and foxes among other animals.