Wood Frogs assult Tiger Salamander

One of my favorite times of year is that brief two-to-three week transition in late March and early April when winter turns to spring. During the last few years I have spent that winter-to-spring transition studying wood frogs (Rana sylvatica). Wood frogs are an incredibly exciting amphibian to study. During the brief breeding season, male wood frogs gather together in large leks to mate. In these leks, the males wrestle and “cluck”; at one another as they attempt to mate with incoming female wood frogs. When female wood frogs enter the lek, multiple males will grab the females, clinging to her until one male wins out. Below is a video showing a group of male wood frogs clinging to a single female wood frog. This video was taken near the end of the breeding season, when most of wood frog females in this pond had already laid their eggs.



Sometimes the male wood frogs are in such a mating frenzy that they will grab other amphibians like they would a female wood frog. In the video here, a male tiger salamander has come too close to the wood frog lek, and has been grabbed by several males. I freed this male salamander and let him swim away. I don’t know what his fate would have been if I hadn’t released him; the wood frogs might have drowned him.



Spring at my field site in southeast Michigan brings out a variety of other exciting amphibians and reptiles. At the same time wood frogs are breeding, Spring Peepers (Pseudacris crucifer) and Western Chorus Frogs (Pseudacris triseriata) are actively calling and mating.

Spring Peeper Video:


Chorus Frog Video:


Two male Chorus Frogs looking at each other:



This is also a great time of year to see some beautiful Spotted Salamanders (Ambystoma maculatum):







Leopard Frogs (Rana pipiens) usually breed shortly after the wood frogs breed. They are not common at my field site, but I usually see a few each year. Here is one hiding underwater:



Reptiles are also active this time of year. Garter and ribbon snakes can be seen moving around ponds and marshes, hunting amphibians. Here is a Northern Water Snake (Nerodia sipedon) found cruising around a pond, possibly hunting frogs :