Day two exploring the vernal ponds was incredible. The frogs were calling so loudly that both my ears were ringing when I left. Jake and I stood in the pond shouting to each other over the chorus. The frogs never quieted or stop calling. They were focused!
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| Spring Peeper, Pseudacris crucifer |
Spring Peeper
According to Wikipedia:
On Martha's Vineyard, peepers are commonly called
"pinkletinks"; in New Brunswick, Canada,
they are sometimes called
"tinkletoes", although not commonly known by
that name, and usually referred to as simply "peepers". On Nova Scotia's South Shore, they are sometimes referred to as
"pink-winks." These frogs are one of the smallest known frogs.
It was hard to find this fella. He called and called while I stood there thinking that I had to be looking at him. Finally I found the frog at the centre of a little grass teepee. It is hard to judge scale from the photo. This one was about 1 - 1.5 cm.
Wood Frog
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| Wood Frog, Rana sylvatica |
According to the Toronto Zoo Adopt-a-Pond web page:
"Wood frogs spend the winter FROZEN with 65% of the water in their body becoming ice! Canadian researchers have discovered that the Wood frog's breathing and heartbeat, actually STOP as winter approaches. Wood frogs freeze from the inside OUT because if they were to freeze from the outside IN, the pressure from the outside would crush their internal organs. The ability to freeze is possible due to high concentrations of glucose (or sugars), which prevent cells from completely freezing. Specialized proteins in the Wood frog's blood allows them to control the rate at which they freeze and prevents their blood from clotting. Wood frogs are still susceptible to freezing involuntarily. They lose their freeze tolerance shortly after they emerge from hibernation in the spring because their glucose levels and specialised protein levels (which enable them to freeze) are very low. The production of the glucose and proteins are triggered by seasonal phenomena so that once winter arrives, again, the Wood frog will be able to freeze."
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| Colour variation in Wood Frog - there were many today that appeared reddish. |
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| This frog was not concern about me being there. In this picture he's looking the other way - possibly for a mate. |
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| Wood frogs have an odd way of hanging around. Many float on the surface in a relaxed fashion as in the picture above and below. |
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| Floating |
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| From underneath - fore legs on the left. |
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| Face to face |
