Field Report from Andrew: (Andrew Hoffman is a Graduate Research Assistant with the OSU Terrestrial Wildlife Ecology Lab)
Attached is a little infographic with rough approximations of Ohio/Midwest frog phenology. As with other things, it varies quite a bit annually and from north to south in the state, but this should give a reasonably good idea of the general season/months these frogs are breeding. In general, the spring breeders use fishless/temporary ponds and the summer breeders use permanent (fish) ponds. Hope this is helpful!
Right now we are in the thick of amphibian breeding season and, given patterns this year, I suspect it will stay active for the next two weeks at least. During this period of time, listen for spring peepers, chorus frogs, wood frogs (they are nearly done now), leopard frogs, and pickerel frogs calling at fishless ponds, wetlands, and ditches. This is also the time all the Ambystomatid (mole) salamanders will be in these wetlands, laying eggs. Essentially, add calling frogs and more salamanders into what we saw on our wetland walk and that's what is going on at nearly all fishless wetlands right now! On a more reptilian note, snakes (especially gartersnakes) are coming out to bask on mild/sunny days and the turtles (especially painted turtles) are pretty visible stacked up on logs basking on those same mild, sunny days. Spring is truly here!
If you are interested in a more detailed or visual update/material, I am planning on making some amphibian/vernal pool videos in collaboration with a friend from Indiana who has taken some phenomenal underwater footage of frogs/salamanders breeding as time permits. My plan was to post this to my YouTube channel but I am happy to send it (or a version catered to the curriculum) your way, just may not be for a couple weeks at least. You can find Andrew’s U tube channel here:
This link should work: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCY9ak1XoXRLrWWfxPoPNZlg/
We will let you know when the new videos are posted. But there is a great fall video on leopard frogs.