Frogs on the Road [Video]
Friday night while the Spotted Salamanders were moving, I also had an opportunity to photograph some frogs that were also crossing the road.
female Wood Frog on the Road.
Wood Frogs (Rana sylvatica) were the most commonly found frogs for the night. The males are the darker frogs and the pinkish colored ones are the females. They are coming out of the woods in search of laying their eggs in fish less pools. Many might remember my post describing the amazing way that they are able to winter in our snow covered woods.
Wood Frog and Pickerel Frog Video
This was the first time that I have ever found a Pickerel Frog (Rana palustris) during the big migration night. This Pickerel wasn’t the most cooperative in allowing me to photograph it but did capture a few shots. They have rectangular spots with yellow inside the hind legs and groin area. That yellow coloring reminds predators that they will produces a very distasteful skin secretion when threatened.
Pickerel Frog
Pickerel Frogs are sometimes easily confused with Leopard Frogs who have more circular spots on them. Pickerel Frogs can be located in shallow water during the breeding season but much of their life will be spent in meadows, fields and the woods. They are very secretive frogs and very little is known about their breeding activities. It is known that they are one of our last frogs to go into its hibernation and commonly found swimming under the ice. I thought that it was neat having the opportunity to see this guy up close.
Pickerel Frog
Of course . . . we did have a few Wood Frogs who couldn’t wait until they made it to the breeding pool.
Woodfrogs doing . . . well you know what!
Spring Peepers (Pseudacris crucifer) were not as vocal as I had remembered in years past but they seemed to be moving towards the pools in numbers. Being so tiny they could sometimes be easily overlooked when on the road. But for sure they were the cutest of all the frogs!
Spring Peeper
Photographing Frogs are very interesting and by finding them on the roads makes it 100 times easier than when they are in the water! I am glad I had this amazing opportunity and to take such great pictures of these guyss. On wet nights . . . you could also have this opportunity and note that all these pictures were done with my point and shoot camera.
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again I totally fell in love with the video – and I love the frog shots. (Of course I adore frogs .. I keep waiting for them to start making noise at night with the crickets) … I loved the information you added as well. I’ve never seen a spring peeper and Bo talked about them in a recent blog… I wonder if they are just on the other side of America? Maybe not… once again Monarch sublime work!
6 April 2008 at 1:56 pm
Great frog pictures and the video was excellent! Enjoyed that!
6 April 2008 at 2:20 pm
Forgot to say that my son once snuck a container of spring peepers in the house….it was DEAFENING!!!
6 April 2008 at 2:22 pm
Hooray for the point and shoot! The video was great. As usual, it all was interesting =)
6 April 2008 at 3:34 pm
Great photos. Do you photograph just using the camera flash – or do you use a spotlight as well?
6 April 2008 at 3:36 pm
Oh Mon@rch, this is way cool. Those frisky Wood Frogs. Just can’t slow Mother Nature. Ha…
6 April 2008 at 5:04 pm
Love the frog pictures and video. A whole new world unfolds at night.
6 April 2008 at 6:11 pm
Your blog is awesome:) Here in Michigan, we, my family and I, finally got in a bike ride today! My sons found every snake on the road. I will add the photos onto my blog later today.
I have young naturalists here and continue to show them your blog! Thanks for the wonderful work you do!
Susan
http://www.organicsyes.wordpress.com
6 April 2008 at 6:24 pm
These frogs are really cool, Tom! What fun it must have been to see them, too!
6 April 2008 at 6:40 pm
Hello Mon@rch,
Every blog post you do brings me closer to nature.
6 April 2008 at 7:44 pm
Hi Tom
I am slowly getting caught up and just now read quite a few of your posts and came back here to comment.
One of these days I would love to see the migration of the salamanders to the vernal pools. Don and I heard our first peepers at Presque Isle.
I am so looking forward to helping Sarah with spring bird banding. Do you band in the spring? If so where cuz I would love to bring my niece and have her meet your young naturalists.
6 April 2008 at 7:52 pm
Great looking frogs and so many different kinds!
6 April 2008 at 7:58 pm
I love the wood frogs gettin’ their groove on. *LOL*
My ex was horribly afraid of frogs & toads. I figure he must have been a fly in a former life or some such…Nothing else makes sense!
6 April 2008 at 8:03 pm
@ aullori – so glad you enjoyed it . . . I loved taking it! I am not 100% sure on their range, you would know that call if you heard it though!
@ Bird Girl – Thanks and glad you enjoyed! Hmm, sound like it would be hard to hide from ya! LOL
@ Rondi – thanks glad you enjoyed!
@ NatureShutterbug – Thanks and using the camera flash with these guys! But did have a background light on (flash overpowers)! You don’t go wrong with a SONY!
@ Lisa – thanks and for sure! LOL
@ Linda – thanks and you don’t know what you are missing if you never go out at night!
@ organicsyes – thanks you are very kind! Will have to check it out your site and glad to hear you have kids enjoying nature! Because kids today don’t get enough time outside!
@ Pam – thanks and it was for sure!
@ Samuel – thanks and glad you are enjoying it!
@ Toni – it is very easy to fall behind! I am always falling behind! I don’t do any spring banding and my first session is the Friday before the ANP! Let me know if you would like to join us and you should bring your niece to the pilgrimage! Lots of kids there!
@ Joan – thanks and it is amazing how many you can find!
@ Lana – LOL, glad you enjoyed this! Frogs are very harmless . . . I could see snakes but frogs?
6 April 2008 at 10:16 pm
I just love your frog pictures. We have a overflow “pond” from French Creek in our back yard, and have so many Peepers sometimes you can’t hear yourself think they are so loud. I have heard them once already, but the old saying goes that they have to be frozen over 3 times before spring officially is here…
7 April 2008 at 2:42 pm
Snake photos up on my blog:) We are looking at the peepers here!
Susan
7 April 2008 at 6:55 pm
@ Becky – thanks and our peepers have been very vocal the past few days! I have heard that . . . maybe I spoke too soon!
@ organicsyes – will go check, thanks!
7 April 2008 at 7:54 pm
Those nighttime pictures turn out so good–is it just with the flash on your camera or do you supplement with a flashlight too?
What’s the secret to getting these guys to sit still long enough so you can even see them? They always seem to hop or swim away before I can get close enough…..
7 April 2008 at 9:39 pm
Those frog photos are awesome! Great shots.
7 April 2008 at 11:59 pm
Oh I love it! I love! Thank you Tom! What a great ending on the video when he just ‘hops away’.
Isn’t that the sweetest music? Only thing that tops it for me is the sweet song of the Robins which have returned to my backyard.
Great pictures!
8 April 2008 at 8:09 pm
@ Ruthie – Thanks and all my pictures turn out with the flash like this! Sony Cybershot is a great camera! They were in the road . that is my secret! Also the numbers . . . those who don’t want the photos don’t get photographed!
@ Moe – Thanks
@ Cathy – Thanks and I was going to show both of them hopping away . . . but felt this meant more! Glad to hear about the robins!
8 April 2008 at 8:32 pm
Did you know the female wood frog needs the male to squeeze her, or she can’t lay her eggs?
10 April 2008 at 11:04 pm