Wood Frog Rana sylvatica

The "quacking" call of this species is characteristic of ephemeral woodland ponds in very early spring, often while there is still some snow on the ground. These small to medium-sized, brownish frogs have a black "bandit's mask". They leave their breeding ponds by mid spring and live on the forest floor until fall, when they hibernate --------. They are fairly widespread in wooded country, much more common in the northwoods than in the southern counties. Their statewide population appears to be stable to increasing.