The Naturalist's Corner By Don Hendershot Wood frogs, Ranus sylvatica, have already been busy sowing their wild oats. I first saw eggs, deposited in a small woodland puddle on Feb. 10. Since then, I found more eggs, in similar habitat, at two different sites. I guess the mild temperatures have thawed the frogs and fired their libidos.
Wood frogs are remarkable creatures.
They are the most widely distributed amphibian in North America and the only North American frog found north of the Arctic Circle. They have two prominent dorsolateral ridges along their back. A dark, mask-like stripe extends from the snout, around the eye and ends behind the tympanum, or eardrum. Frogs are among the oldest creatures on the planet. They are believed to have evolved from the Ichthyostega, the earliest known amphibian, during the Devonian Period, more than 300 million years ago.