Turning into Frogsicles

We see lots of frogs in the spring and summer, but have you ever wondered what they do when the weather gets colder? Many of them hibernate, but our little wood frog buddies do things a little differently. After they bury themselves under debris (leaves and twigs) on the forest floor, they turn themselves into frogsicles!

As the temperature drops, everything the wood frog does stops. We mean EVERYTHING! It stops moving, breathing, its blood stops flowing and even its heart stops beating! During winter, 35-45% of the wood frog’s body may freeze and become ice-like.

It can pull this trick off by storing glucose in its liver. The glucose gets released into the frog’s blood while it’s ‘playing dead’, preventing its entire body from freezing. The glucose acts as antifreeze to keep this little guy alive while staying completely still. Once things warm up in the spring, the frog comes back to life (so to speak) and returns to its regular activities.

Help wood frogs with a Wildlife Adoption!

Head to the Adoptions Section in the App or visit the Earth Rangers Shop! Get an Earth Rangers Field Notes Notebook FREE with a Plush Adoption Kit, now extended until May 15!