Rana Sylvatica Color Morph?

EasternNewtLove · May 16, 2012

So, today I was at a pond with my friend and I saw a wood frog with a cyan/teal face. It is shiny and sparkly looking. Is this a common morph? The frog itself is rather pale. I'll get a picture of it tomorrow if anyone is interested.

eyrops · May 17, 2012

EasternNewtLove said:
So, today I was at a pond with my friend and I saw a wood frog with a cyan/teal face. It is shiny and sparkly looking. Is this a common morph? The frog itself is rather pale. I'll get a picture of it tomorrow if anyone is interested.

I have not seen one like that. A picture would be interesting if you can get one.

EasternNewtLove · May 17, 2012

Sure thing! I'll get one within a couple of hours.

EasternNewtLove · May 17, 2012

Here it is

otolith · May 17, 2012

That is a really beautiful wood frog, I can't say I've ever seen any like it before. Did you just go out, catch and photograph the same frog you found yesterday or are there a few with this same coloration? It is really quite striking, excellent find!

EasternNewtLove · May 17, 2012

I didn't see any others like it. She wa the only wood frog at the pond actually. Ive been keeping her in a temporary container. I may try breeding he to get more of this color. Does anyone have any tips on housing them and breeding?

eyrops · May 17, 2012

Wood frogs hibernate on land, and actually partially freeze sometimes. In the Spring they spawn early. I have not tried to breed them, but I would think those things would be a starting point.

-Steve Morse

otolith · May 17, 2012

Given how early in the year they breed I imagine you've already missed the window for this year. I think this would be a pretty difficult species to breed in captivity, I have not heard of anyone attempting to do it before. Might be better off letting it go to do her own thing in the wild, it would be pretty great to find more like her in the future!

EasternNewtLove · May 18, 2012

My concern with the winter thing later in the year would be me accidentally freezing her to death. I would like to try to breed her. I wouldn't think temperatures would have to get that low all the time. Would they? I mean, with eastern newts, they just need to go through a coolig period. The water they are in never completely freezes like during the winter. Just because it hasnt been done before gives me that much more reason to want to try to do it. I'm really at a loss here on wether I should try breeding, or release her. If I release her, something could eat her, she might get hit by a car, or I just might not see her again in my entire life. If I keep her though, I may be unsuccessful breeding and take a beautiful frog out of the breedin population.

EasternNewtLove · May 18, 2012

And the other thing is that she was in a pond by the woods. these woods are going to be ruined and 88 houses are going to be going in back there. So here home is going to be destroyed as well.

eyrops · May 18, 2012

It's definitely past breeding season for this year. If you do keep the frog and did try a cold period next winter, I would suggest stopping short of actually freezing the frog.

EasternNewtLove · May 18, 2012

Ok. I'm not sure how old she is either. How long do they live?

taherman · May 19, 2012

That is a green frog, Rana clamitans melanota. The greenish face is normal. They are one of the most resilient frog species, and may survive in the development if any open water remains.

Tim

EasternNewtLove · May 19, 2012

I dont mean to sound rude, but I don't think this is a normal color. I've never seen one like that. I don't think it's a green frog either, it doesn't have the same body structure. Besides, the "blue" green frogs I've seen online have almost their whole body blue. Not just the area on the face. The color is very well defined like the black area on a wood frogs face. I'm no frog expert though but in my opinion, it really looks like a wood frog more than a green frog.

taherman · May 19, 2012

It could be lacking some yellow pigment, which would make the green patch look bluer. Look closely at the rounder shape of the head, rougher texture of skin, shape of the dorsolateral folds, color of the eyes, etc. and it will help you distinguish it from sylvatica. Young green frogs like this one usually just have green on the lips. You'll also notice that the blue "mask" is in the wrong place for it to be the mask of a wood frog (which covers the tympanum).

Check out amphibiaweb for comparison photos:
Rana sylvatica

otolith · May 19, 2012

I'm in agreement with taherman. After comparing pictures more closely it looks a lot more like a pale pigmented green frog than a wood frog.

eyrops · May 19, 2012

taherman said:
You'll also notice that the blue "mask" is in the wrong place for it to be the mask of a wood frog (which covers the tympanum).

I'm going to agree with taherman too. Take a look at this green frog, http://www.fws.gov/heinz/images/Green_frog_by_Jason_Gibson.jpg along with the wood frog picture link taherman suggested. It is an unusually bluish mask, though.

-Steve Morse

EasternNewtLove · May 20, 2012

Ok, well now I do see what you mean. Sorry, you're right. So then this year since green frogs haven't need yet I could breed her this year.

taherman · May 20, 2012

From the photo I would guess that is a fairly young animal, so it probably isn't yet sexually mature. It might need a year or two of growth first.

EasternNewtLove · May 20, 2012

Well this is terrible news

the frog died. The water must have gotten too warm. I feel sooo awful. Why can't a frog stand slightly warmer temperatures but it's no problem surviving freezing cold winter? I just feel so awful. I cant begin to explain how awful I feel.

Rana Sylvatica Color Morph?

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