Wood Frog: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Frogs · day 4 of 7

Five facts

1. In Alaska, wild wood frogs stay frozen for about 193 days in a row, and survive as long as no more than 65-70% of their body water turns to ice.
2. Wood frogs are the only North American frog that lives north of the Arctic Circle.
3. Females lay their eggs next to other egg masses, making big rafts. Eggs in the middle soak up more heat and develop faster.
4. A female can lay up to 3,000 eggs. They hatch after one to three weeks, depending on how warm the water is.
5. In one Appalachian study, every adult went back to the pond where it first bred, but 18% of young frogs moved to breed in other ponds.

The quiz

1. About how long do wood frogs in Alaska stay frozen in winter?

• About 193 days (correct)
• About one day
• About one week
• Almost two years

Wild wood frogs in Alaska stay frozen for about 193 days in a row.

2. Which frog is the only one in North America north of the Arctic Circle?

• The bullfrog
• The green tree frog
• The wood frog (correct)
• The leopard frog

The wood frog is the only North American frog north of the Arctic Circle.

3. Why do eggs in the middle of a raft develop faster?

• The male sits on them
• They soak up more heat (correct)
• They are laid on land
• Fish guard them

Eggs in the middle of the raft absorb more heat, so they develop faster.

4. How long do wood frog eggs take to hatch?

• About 100 days
• About 1 day
• About 6 months
• One to three weeks (correct)

They hatch after one to three weeks, depending on water temperature.

5. In one Appalachian study, what share of young wood frogs moved to breed in other ponds?

• 18% (correct)
• 100%
• 50%
• 1%

In that study, 18% of young frogs bred in a different pond.

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