Cape Ann Vernal Pond Team
 

Facultative Frog Species
 


American Toad
Toads are a type of frog,
and their breeding call is a beautiful melodious trill.
 


Pickerel Frog
The skin of the pickerel
frog is toxic which deters predators.


Green Frog
The male green frog's mating call sounds like a plucked banjo string.
 


Gray Tree Frog
The young froglets are neon, emerald green, but the adults are virtually impossible to distinguish from the tree bark



 


Spring Peeper
The mating of the spring peeper can be heard from a half mile.  This tiny frog, less than an inch long, is a frequent vernal pond breeder, but they also
breed in other wetlands.


 

Obligate Species
 

 

Fairy Shrimp
These back-swimming crustaceans grow to 1 1/2" in length. they are an important food source for larger animals in the pond. Before the pond dries in summer, those fairy shrimp that survive predation will lay their eggs. When the pool fills again, the eggs will hatch.

Spotted Salamander
During the first warm rainy nights of late March and early April. Spotted Salamanders emerge from their winter homes and move to vernal ponds to breed, sometimes traveling as much as a half mile.

Wood Frogs breed
The male crawls onto the female's back and fertilizes the eggs as the female lays them.

 
 

Other interesting vernal pond discoveries

Button Bush
Common in vernal ponds, the sweet blossoms are favorites of butterflies and other insects.

Blueflag
These beautiful blue flowers are often in bloom while the plant's roots are completely submerged.
Caddisfly Larva
An important vernal pond insect, constructs a protective case of spun silk, which it covers with materials from the pond. In late spring it will emerge as an adult, resembling a small brown moth.

Dragonfly lands
Dragon flies spend their larval stage under water, often in vernal ponds. They emerge from the pond and shed their skin to become adults. Dragonflies often patrol vernal pond habitat, where they feed on other insects that hatch out of the pond.

Garter Snake
The garter snake is a frequent vernal pond visitor that benefits from abundant frog populations.

Painted Turtle
The painted turtle can be
found basking and feeding in vernal ponds.
 

Red Fox
Often seen in vernal pond habitat, the fox is one of the ponds top predators. They eat a variety of foods including reptiles, small mammals, birds, even insects and berries.