Wood Frog (Lithobates sylvatica)

Description: A small to medium-sized frog (3.7–7 cm; 1.5–2.75 in) with prominent dorsolateral folds extending from the head to near the vent. Dorsal coloration is tan to brown, marked by a distinctive dark mask running from the snout through the eye to below the tympanum. A pale stripe occurs along the upper jaw beneath the mask. This is the only frog in the Southeast with such a facial pattern.

Range and Habitat: Occurs across most of northern North America, extending into Alaska and above the Arctic Circle—the only amphibian in the Western Hemisphere known to range so far north. It is restricted to the Appalachian Mountains of northern Georgia and northwestern South Carolina. Occupies moist forested habitats, often far from permanent water. Breeds in fishless temporary wetlands and vernal pools. Overwinters beneath stumps, logs, or leaf litter.

Habits: Among the most terrestrial frogs in the region, active both day and night during wet conditions. Feeds on insects and other small invertebrates. An explosive breeder, often beginning reproduction in late winter or early spring, sometimes before ice melts. Females deposit egg masses on submerged vegetation; tadpoles metamorphose within 40–90 days.

Call: A short, duck-like “quack.”

Conservation Status: It is widespread and secure across its range. It is common in the Southeast, where it occurs, and is not legally protected.