Last year I was giving a program in a 5th grade classroom and I asked the students to name some local species of plants and animals so we could create a food chain. If they said tree, I asked what kind of tree?. If they said "oak", I asked which one?
If I asked you to name local species how many could you name? 10? 25? 100? 200?
Over the course of this school year, I want to share 100 species that I think kids (and adults) in Mid-Michigan should be able to identify by sight.
The first species is the
Wood Frog (
Rana sylvatica). This species is commonly found in woodlands - often far away from water. Wood Frogs can be identified by their black "mask". They are the only species of Michigan frog with this feature. Their call sounds like a "quack" - ponds filled with breeding Wood Frogs sound like they are filled with dozens of invisible ducks.
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| A Wood Frog in its typical habitat |
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| Wood Frogs can vary in color, but all have the black "mask" under their eyes |
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| Wood Frog bodies are covered with patterns that look like the edges of leaves |
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| This Wood Frog shows very dark markings. |
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