Backyard and Beyond

A year ago on April 1st, 2018, we heard Wood Frogs and saw their spawn floating here. It takes about a week for their eggs to rise up from below, where they’re laid. This year, on March 30th, we heard the frogs and saw them both mating and egg-laying for the first time. Male Wood Frogs sound like a bit like ducks as they announce their presence. Half a dozen of them can produce a helluva sound.The females are notably larger and redder than the males. You might think they were a different species if you saw them on their own.We didn’t see any on their own. This is amplexus, Latin for “embrace,” the amphibian mating stance.The females are full of eggs — the black spheres seen under water in some of these images — lots and lots of eggs. She can spawn a 1000 at a go.