Frogs and Toads: Superheroes of the Animal World

Do you know how frogs and toads survive the winter?

They can do it several different ways, but this is how the Gray Tree Frog beats the cold:

Gray Tree Frogs hide out in trees during the winter, but they also have a secret weapon; glycerol. They can literally freeze themselves and slow down their heartbeats until it’s warm again!

Many frogs stay in frozen water to evade the cold, but don’t burrow into the mud for an interesting reason. Frogs breathe through their skin, so when submerged in cold water, they can absorb small amounts of oxygen to survive. If they were buried in mud, they would suffocate. 

Toads are known to spend more time on land and away from water than frogs, so they have come up with a different strategy. Many species of toads will dig into the ground until they are below the frost line, then wait out the winter to emerge in spring.

 

 

This winter, there are superheroes right below your feet!

Get to know more of the animals supported by WSF.

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