Wood frogs in amplexus can be seen in the photograph on the left. Egg masses are about the size of a golf ball when first laid, as seen in the three smaller, whitish masses near the frogs. As they absorb water, they grow to the size of about a baseball. Each egg mass can contain up to 1,000 eggs. Wood frogs lay their eggs communally, so look for large clumps of spherical, lumpy blobs in the water very early in the season. These eggs do not have an outer gelatinous covering and will become looser as time goes on.
Spotted salamander egg masses contain up to 150 eggs and are covered by a stiff gelatinous outer layer that holds its shape even out of water. They can be found at the bottom of the pond or attached to twigs or plant material. They can be opaque white or even greenish later in the season as algae grows on them.
American toads lay their eggs a little later in the season in June. Their eggs will be covered in gelatin and be in long strings. Listen for their trilling mating call as the days heat up.