![]() ![]() These tree frogs and wood frogs hibernate in leaf litter or under bark – somewhere that is not really insulated from freezing temperatures. Frozen frogsicles?Ī few other frogs deal with cold temperatures a bit differently – they have found a way to become the cold! Our Wood Frog and the three species of tree frog found in Ontario (Gray Treefrog, Spring Peeper and Chorus Frog) are actually freeze-tolerant.īefore we get visions of frog-sicles, know this: these frogs freeze differently than, let’s say, a hotdog. Only once the soil temperature warms in the spring will they know their cue to emerge again. They must dig down, often over 50 cm into the soil, to get below the frost line, where they will spend the winter. To do this, they dig! Toads have special, hardened knobs on their hind feet that help them dig into the soil. To do this, they must dig into the soil, often more than 50 cm, to get below the frost line American Toads must find a place on land to hibernate. The forests and fields certainly do freeze, and even the soil freezes, so toads must find a place that escapes the frost. ![]() Toads commonly found on trails and gardens, like the American Toad, hibernate on land. If they were buried in the mud, the supply of oxygen would quickly get used up, so that is why they stay exposed on the bottom, or perhaps nestled among rocks, logs or roots – to get a constant supply of oxygen from moving water. They can simply absorb the little bit of oxygen they need directly from the water through their permeable skins. Very cold (4☌) water holds more oxygen than warm water, which is good news for the frogs. The only problem is making sure they get enough oxygen to survive As long as the water does not freeze, neither will the frog. Many think that these frogs would burrow into the muck at the bottom of a pond or river to “keep warm” and stay hidden from predators.īut it turns out that - in order to survive the winter under the ice - they need to stay out of the mud because… …these frogs breathe through their skin! Aquatic frogs, like this Green Frog, overwinter underwater. Many of Ontario’s frogs, like the Bull Frog, Green Frog, Mink Frog and Pickerel Frog, hibernate in the water. If the water is still liquid, then it is above freezing - but not by much! But as we find out with the ice cube tray in the freezer, water is liquid until it’s frozen. We often think that water, in the winter time, is very cold. ![]() In the case of most frogs, the right place is under water. In order to survive this difficult season, they must ensure they find just the right place. Many animals do this: from bears to jumping mice, turtles and snakes, even many insects lie dormant for the winter.Ĭold-blooded animals (who cannot produce their own body heat using their metabolism) like reptiles and amphibians must hibernate in Ontario it’s much too cold to be active – they would freeze solid and die. Hibernation involves the animal lowering its metabolism to a point where it uses very little energy even its heart rate and body temperature drop and they typically do not eat. Some, we think, have the enviable ability to sleep away the long Ontario winter by hibernating. Other animals are adapted to the cold conditions and may grow a thicker coat of fur or feathers. For the countless songbirds of our forests, they avoid our cold winters and lack of food by migrating south. Today’s post comes from David LeGros, one of our Algonquin Provincial Park naturalists.Īs the crisp fall days get colder and the occasional dusting of snow whitens the landscape, we know that winter is just around the corner. ![]()
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