Hunkering down on successive mornings of 9 and 14 degrees F, I can’t help but wonder about the impact of a deep freeze on the reproductive cycle of amphibians in shallow water, wood frogs in particular.
A Central New York wetland; April 5, 2016
I monitor a small vernal pool every year as the warm March sun melts winter ice and wood frogs begin their explosive breeding cycle.
I last checked the pool on April 2, just before the arctic blast and snowstorm arrived. It was a chilly, 45 degree day and the pool was clear of ice. Judging by the presence of several large egg masses, the wood frogs had successfully completed their reproductive cycle.
Wood Frog egg mass in a vernal pool; April 2, 2016
One frog, lethargic in the cold water, allowed me to experiment with light reflections and shooting angles.
When spring returns, and the little vernal pool comes back to life, I plan to examine the egg masses to see what, if any, impact the freezing temperatures had on egg survival.
Photos by NB Hunter. © All Rights Reserved.
Hope the Wood Frogs survive this late freeze. Now that you mention it, it occurs to me that I haven’t been hearing our tree frogs chirping lately. I don’t have a clue why this might be.
I am interested in what you will find about the eggs after this late freeze.