Pink, tan, or dark brown, with prominent dark mask ending abruptly behind eardrum. Light stripe on upper jaw; sometimes light line down middle of back. Dorsolateral ridges prominent. Dark blotch on chest near base of each front leg. Belly white, may have dark mottling. Toes not fully webbed; male has swollen thumbs. Similar to other northern frogs that hibernate close to the surface in soil and/or leaf litter, wood frogs can tolerate the freezing of their blood and other tissues.
Ten Facts about Wood Frog
- Wood frogs range from 51 millimetres (2.0 in) to 70 millimetres (2.8 in) in length.
- Wood frogs eat a variety of small, forest-floor invertebrates.
- Wood frogs are forest-dwelling organisms that breed primarily in ephemeral, freshwater wetlands: woodland vernal pools.
- Their voice sound like a series of short raspy quacks.
- Early spring, before ice has completely melted from water.
- Widespread throughout northern North America.
- Urea is accumulated in tissues in preparation for overwintering, and liver glycogen is converted in large quantities to glucose in response to internal ice formation.
- These Frogs can survive many freeze/thaw events during winter if not more than about 65% of the total body water freezes.
- Life span is 3-4 years.
- Hawks, snakes, other frogs, raccoons, are their predators.
