The Boreal Frog is a unique species of amphibian native to the sub-arctic forests of Alaska. Bound by two formidable barriers, the Brooks Range to the north and the Alaska Range to the south, its distribution is restricted to the valleys and riverbeds of the interior. Emerging from the permafrost each spring during the melt, the bright red skin of the Boreal Frog, pictured above, contrasts sharply with the dull bleak landscape of late winter. It's flashy coloration would suggest a poisonous skin, however this is just a ruse. Unlike the poison dart frogs of tropical rain forests, which secrete toxic alkaloids to deter predators, the red skin of the Boreal Frog is benign and merely a mimic. Very little is known about the mating and reproduction of this secretive resident of the north, but like it's close relative the Boreal Chorus Frog of Canada, the male's song is frequently heard in the bogs and lakes of summer.
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Canon EOS 60D, Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM + Canon EF 25mm Extension Tube II, ISO-200 f/22 @ 1.6 sec.
Whooooooooaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh...
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