Anura Rana sylvatica -- Wood Frog
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Anura Rana sylvatica -- Wood Frog |
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Search for another IL amphibian or reptile Search for IL amphibians & reptiles by county Go to the INHS Amphibian & Reptile Collection homepage Search the INHS collections data for amphibians & reptiles Search the INHS Type Specimen Data for amphibians & reptiles |  
Purple shade indicates vouchered specimens. Light blue (cyan)
shade indicates photographic records. Yellow shade indicates verified
sighting. |
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Key Characters: Dark mask on side of face that obscures lower half of eye; dorsolateral fold extends from eye to hip; tympanum smaller than eye; 2-3 joints of the 4th toe free of webbing. Similar Species: Green frog. Description: Small to medium-sized (3.5-6.0 cm SVL) tan to reddish brown frog. Back occasionally sports a few scattered black dots. Legs sometimes crossed with dark bands. Breeding male is smaller than female, is darker, and has enlarged thumbs. Habitat: Solitary inhabitant of mature, moist forests. May wander far from breeding habitats of shallow vernal pools and forest ponds. Natural History: Well camouflaged to move about on forest floors, feeding and making long, low leaps when disturbed. Diet includes a variety of invertebrates. Large breeding aggregations appear in ponds and vernal forest pools after first warm rains of spring (mid-February to March in south, mid-March to April in north). The 5-6 clucking sounds of individual mating calls do not carry far. Female lays 300-900 eggs that hatch in 10 days to two weeks. Tadpoles grow rapidly and transform in May in the south, June in the north. Status: Localized populations more vulnerable than those of many frogs. Populations scattered in northern corners of state, in the east, and in Shawnee Hills, avoiding the Grand Prairie and Till Plains (see distribution map, above). |
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