Wood Frog - Rana sylvatica

The Wood Frog is a mostly brown little frog about two or three inches long. It's often the first frog heard calling for mates in the spring.

The Wood Frog lives in forests and brush not far from wetlands, lakeshores, ponds, etc. It is known to travel a considerable distance from its watery breeding grounds.

The Wood Frog is one of the most widely scattered amphibian in North America. Its range extends far into Canada, even as far north as the Arctic Circle.

One of the most amazing facts about the Wood Frog is that it survives over winter, in spite of being frozen solid. The Wood Frog will spend winter under a small cover of leaves or debris. World-wide, there are only a few species of vertebrates that can survive winter with tissues freezing in this way. It enables the Wood Frog to inhabit many northern areas and also range farther from bodies of water than other frogs.

Another amazing fact about the Wood Frog is that it can mature from egg to small frog in less than 50 days. For this reason, many classrooms use Wood Frogs as teaching subjects so students can observe the growth of the frog in a relative short period of time.