transformation in early July. Development to sexual maturity takes one year. 
     
    

    
     During the breeding season, the male wood Frog can be distinguished from 
     
     the female by the presence of convex hind toes webbing rather than the concave 
     
     webbing bulge of the females. This convex shape changes to concave after the 
     
     breeding season. After the breeding season, the Wood Frogs usually disperse 
     
     to their woodland habitats. 
     
    
   
   
    
     THE GREEN FROG 
     
    
   
   
    
     As might be guessed from the name, 
     
     the Green Frog is a member of the green 
     
     frog colour grouping of the true frogs. 
     
     Contrary to the implication from its name, 
     
     the back colour can actually range from 
     
     the more common green to yellow or nearly 
     
     black. This species may have irregular 
     
     back spotting which is normally indistinct 
     
     but they lack the prominent light line 
     
     which runs along the upper jaw edge to the 
     
     front leg insertion point which is present 
     
     in both ther brown and spotted colour 
     
     groupings of the true frogs. Its back 
     
     legs may be barred at right angles to the 
     
     leg length or may be mottled or spotted. 
     
    

    
     This species ranges in size up to 4 inches (10.2 cm.). The mature males 
     
     can be distinguished from the females by the presence of bright yellow throats 
     
     and an eardrum diameter (tympanum) which is greater than that of the eye 
     
     diameter. In the breeding areas which consist of ditches, ponds, lakes, and 
     
     stillwater areas of rivers, the males are territorial and defend their area 
     
     with calls and, when necessary, wrestling matches. 
     
    

    
     The Green Frog usually lives either in or within its jumping distance of 
     
     standing water throughout its life. Porter and Fowler (1975) note that this 
     
     species breeds when air temperatures have reached 650 F. and that up to 5,000 
     
     eggs, 1/16 of an inch in diameter (0.16 cm.) are laid in a number of films 
     
     located at the surface of the water and up to 1 foot (30 cm.) across. The 
     
     eggs hatch in three to five days and, over time, produce a tadpole which is 
     
     moderately spotted or mottled above and is white or creamy below. When the 
     
     tadpole reaches a size of about 1 1/3 inches (3.2 cm.), it transforms to the 
     
     adult stage. This frog can live up to ten years and Porter and Fowler (1975) 
     
     state that it starts breeding upon reaching a length of 3 inches (7.6 cm.). 
     
    

    
     The Green Frog’s call is described as a distinctive "twang" or "tchung" 
     
     and has been likened to the plucking of a loose banjo string. These frogs are 
     
     sometimes exploited for their "frog legs" for domestic use or for use as 
     
     laboratory specimens. 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     arecTL  
     
    
   
   
    
     NORTHERN LEOPARD FROG 
     
    
   
   
    
     The Northern Leopard Frog is a member of the boldly spotted colour group 
     
     of the true frogs. This species and the Pickeral Frog both have bold regular 
     
     spots arranged evenly over the back and sides. In the Northern Leopard Frog 
     
     the spots are round or oval in shape with distinct light boundaries. The 
     
     adjacent spots may run together in this species and some individuals may 
     
     display small black dots between the larger spots. 
     
    
   
   
    
     -10—