Taxonomy:
Common Names by Region:
Description:
Size: Adults typically range from 3.5 to 7.6 cm (1.4 to 3 inches) in length.
Coloration: Usually brown, tan, or rust-colored with a distinctive dark mask extending from the nose through the eye to the tympanum.
Skin Texture: Smooth and moist.
Distinguishing Features: Dorsolateral folds (raised lines running along the sides of the back) are prominent; males are smaller than females and have swollen thumbs during the breeding season.
Known Range:
Geographical Distribution: Widely distributed across North America, from the northern forests of Canada and Alaska down to the northern United States.
Habitat: Prefers moist woodlands, swamps, bogs, and the margins of ponds and streams. Can also be found in tundra and taiga regions.
Diet:
Breeding:
Breeding Season: Early spring, often shortly after ice melts in ponds and vernal pools.
Reproduction: Males call to attract females using a quack-like call. Females lay large masses of eggs in water, which males fertilize externally.
Eggs: Laid in clusters attached to submerged vegetation; hatch in about two weeks, depending on temperature.
Lifecycle:
Egg Stage: Eggs hatch into tadpoles within a few weeks.
Larval Stage (Tadpoles): Tadpoles undergo metamorphosis over several weeks to months, depending on environmental conditions.
Juvenile Stage: Metamorphosed juveniles (froglets) leave the water and start a terrestrial life.
Adult Stage: Mature within one to two years; live up to 3-5 years in the wild.
Hibernation: Unique among amphibians for their ability to survive freezing temperatures during winter by entering a state of suspended animation, with up to 70% of their body water freezing.