Wood frog eggs - April 6, 2012

Reports of frog calls have been coming in for 2 weeks. First reports were on Friday March 23, 2012 from Hartley Park - the earliest date since I've been keeping track. Most likely these were all wood frogs.

Last week, frogs started and stopped calling a few times. Now I can say it is spring because the wood frogs have started laying eggs! I found my first wood frog eggs this afternoon, amidst a full chorus of calling wood frogs.
 

Example of wood frog eggs (freshly laid)

Lots of egg masses in one pond, but only a few in another - I expect egg laying will continue over the next few days.

Wood frogs are explosive breeders, meaning that they lay all their eggs during the same short stretch of days (usually in one central location per pond).


I will continue to follow the development of eggs and tadpoles in these and other ponds through the spring and summer.