Ephemeral ponds are small bodies of water that typically do not hold water throughout the season. For this reason, they cannot support fish. This makes them ideally suited to be safe breeding habitat for amphibians like frogs and salamanders.
Turtle Pond is being restored.
This wood frog is returning to the pond after a long winter’s nap.
Wood frogs migrate to ephemeral ponds with the first spring rains, sometimes even before spring melt is complete, to mate and lay their eggs.
This wood frog is cruising for a mate.
Wood frogs typically lay eggs in a large communal mass. The newt swimming alongside may prey on the tiny tadpoles when they hatch.
Salamanders also migrate to vernal pools but attach individual egg masses to twigs.
A large wood frog egg mass.
These wood frog eggs will hatch soon.
The incredible shrinking pond; this one requires occasional inputs from the hose to keep the water lilies alive.
Newts chasing wood frog tadpoles.
If a late freeze comes, the eggs on top of the mass will be lost, but the eggs below them will be protected and live.
Just enough water left to capture the red maple’s reflection.
