Document: FRE-3-51-15

Ontogeny of microhabitat use in the Wood Frog (Rana sylvatica).

FREIDENBURG, L.K.*

University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269 1

Abstract:
In New England, wood frogs (Rana sylvatica) breed in small freshwater ponds that frequently dry by early to midsummer. Their environment places a high premium on rapid growth and development of wood frog larvae; cohorts often undergo catastophic mortality when ponds dry. In order to document variation within and among ponds I evaluated patterns of microhabitat distribution, development and growth of wood frog embryos and larvae in six ponds. Wood frogs breed in large aggregations (up to 300 clutches) and larvae generally hatch and disperse from a single locale in each pond. The initiation of dispersal varies in timing and larvae leaving earlier appeared to experience more rapid growth and development subsequently. Within 10 to 14 days of hatching larvae had spread throughout even large ponds. However, larval distributions remained patchy. Preliminary analyses suggest that larvae may aggregate around small patches of warmer water or in the presence of ephemeral sun flecks reaching the surface through the forest canopy.

Keywords: amphibian, distribution, microhabitat, temperature

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This abstract is being presented at: 10:15 AM in session:
Oral Session #38: Amphibian Ecology.