Hello my fellow curious little critters and welcome back to The Friendly Neighborhood Shark Lady! I don’t know about you guys, but I absolutely hate the winter and just cold weather in general. I have always been extremely cold-natured (you will NEVER find me anywhere without a jacket “just in case”) and the winter just brings the worst of it out in me. It seems like no matter how many sweaters or thick pairs of socks I drape my body in, I am just ALWAYS COLD. I long for the warm sun on my face, enjoying a nice 90℉ (approximately 32℃) day in the summer, and living somewhere that snow has never fallen. Not only do I find being cold super uncomfortable, but it can actually be dangerous for humans! When we are exposed to freezing temperatures without proper protection for extended periods of time, we can suffer from frostbite or hypothermia, both of which can turn deadly if not treated.
There is, however, a pretty cool species of frog that doesn’t have to worry about the temperature dipping below freezing. The Wood Frog has the amazing ability to basically freeze solid, withstand sub-zero temperatures for extended periods of time in a state of
hibernation, and then go right back to normal once they thaw out! So, let’s all grab a nice fluffy blanket and a mug of something warm and learn all about this amazing little amphibian!
Where do they live?
Wood frogs actually have the largest distribution of any amphibian in North America, ranging from the Appalachian Mountains in Georgia in the south all the way north of the Arctic circle above Canada. Their habitat is mainly boreal, or taiga, forests, which are prominently made up of evergreen trees like pine trees.
How long do they live?
They reach adulthood between one and two years of age with an average life expectancy of between three and five years.
What do they eat?
As tadpoles, they are mostly herbivores, eating algae and decaying plant matter, along with the occasional egg or larvae of other amphibians. Once they reach adulthood, they prefer things like snails, insects, slugs, and arachnids.
How does this freezing stuff work?!
Do you know how you put antifreeze in your car to help protect the engine from ice during the winter? Well, these frogs are able to produce their own version of antifreeze. Usually, if an animal were to freeze, the water would be drawn out of their cells, causing those cells to die. This is why people who experience frostbite may lose their fingers or other areas that were affected. Wood frogs produce special proteins called nucleating proteins in their blood. These proteins cause the water in their blood to freeze first, which in turn sucks most of the water out of their cells.
Now, this is a big problem, right? We just discussed how water being drawn out of cells causes them to die, after all. Normally, it would be, but at the same time the water is being drawn out by the ice, their liver begins producing large amounts of glucose, which is a type of sugar. This glucose then packs into the cells, props them up, and prevents any more water from being drawn out of them. No ice is able to reach the inside of the cells and destroy them.
While they are frozen, the Wood frog stops breathing, their heart stops beating, and their metabolism crawls to an almost stop. In every way, they will seem to be dead as a doornail, but as soon as they warm back up, their organs thaw, and they go back to functioning as normal!
Conservation Status:
Unlike many amphibian populations that are going through a drastic decline due to habitat destruction, climate change, and disease, the Wood frog is doing pretty well. The IUCN Red List has them listed as least concern and has reported a stable population.
Thank you for hanging out and learning with me today! I can still remember learning about these cool little dudes for the first time in my vertebrate natural history class in college and my mind being absolutely blown. Scientists are even currently researching ways to copy the Wood frog’s antifreeze techniques to help doctors have more time when transporting organs for transplant with less damage to the organs. Let me know below what your favorite thing you learned today is, doesn’t even have to be related to the Wood frog! Nature is just so cool and I love learning about it! I’ll see you all right back here for another Finn Friday!
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