Back in my rookie season in the Boone lab (March 2008), I had the chance to head out to Rush Run wildlife area and release some Northern Leopard Frogs (Rana pipiens) that had been used in a previous experiment (performed by almost Dr. Chris Distel and Dr. Michelle Boone). As you can see, it was still pretty chilly at that time, but we had still managed to dig some of these animals out of the pits located in their terrestrial enclosures. This particular specimen had been collected from this site (Rush Run in Somerville, Oh) the previous year as an egg. It was reared in a mesocosm at Miami University's Ecology Research Center in Oxford, OH through metamorphosis. From this point, it was placed in a 3 meter x 3 meter terrestrial enclosure to overwinter in a ~1 meter deep pit. This animal may or may not have been subjected to high or low density rearing or the application of the pesticide carbaryl. As the animal is only one year of age, it was not possible for us to distinguish its gender. It may make two or three years for this frog to reach sexual maturity.
Northern Leopard Frogs usually breed in small ponds that do not contain any fish. After hatching, they undergo metamorphosis in about two or three months depending on the temperature of the environment. After this time period, the frogs will absorb their tail and head out into the terrestrial world for their first carnivorous meal! Sometimes called meadow frogs, they have been known to head a good distance from water into tall, grassy areas to forage and... well... do whatever they want to do.
As a class, we did not catch any of these animals at this site... but we sure heard them and saw a few before they laughed at us and retreated to the murky water all 20 of us had created by walking though the pond. Maybe next time?
(Nick Webber... great picture, I know)
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