{"id":2207534,"date":"2026-09-27T06:00:50","date_gmt":"2026-09-27T05:00:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/focusingonwildlife.com\/news\/?p=2207534"},"modified":"2026-09-27T06:25:30","modified_gmt":"2026-09-27T05:25:30","slug":"as-temperatures-drop-below-freezing-it-freezes-solid-with-70-of-the-water-in-its-body-turning-to-ice-it-stops-breathing-its-heart-stops-beating-and-its-kidneys-stop-functioning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/focusingonwildlife.com\/news\/as-temperatures-drop-below-freezing-it-freezes-solid-with-70-of-the-water-in-its-body-turning-to-ice-it-stops-breathing-its-heart-stops-beating-and-its-kidneys-stop-functioning\/","title":{"rendered":"“As temperatures drop below freezing, it freezes solid, with 70% of the water in its body turning to ice. It stops breathing, its heart stops beating and its kidneys stop functioning”"},"content":{"rendered":"

The\u00a0only amphibian to live north of the Arctic Circle, the\u00a0wood frog (Lithobates sylvaticus<\/em>) has an amazing ability to undergo freezing and thawing to survive cold winters.<\/p>\n

As you might guess from its common name, it lives mainly in woodland, only taking\u00a0to\u00a0shallow pools in springtime to breed,\u00a0the males uttering a distinctive quacking call\u00a0to attract mates.<\/p>\n

What does a wood frog look like?<\/h2>\n

The\u00a0most recognisable\u00a0characteristic of this\u00a0small frog is\u00a0a band of dark brown or black running from the tip of its snout, out over its eyes like a mask. Otherwise, the wood frog iswell camouflaged for its woodland environment, its colouring varying from tan to dark brown, rust red to greenish, with splodges or bands of darker pigmentation.<\/p>\n

Thanks to\u00a0pigment-containing cells in their skin\u00a0called\u00a0chromatophores, wood frogs\u00a0are able to\u00a0change colour in response to environmental cues such as temperature, light and surrounding vegetation. Unlike with famous colour-changers like chameleons or octopus, however, this transition takes place over hours and days\u00a0rather than seconds. Female\u00a0wood frogs\u00a0tend to be more brightly coloured.<\/p>\n

How big is a wood frog?<\/h2>\n

Adult wood frogs typically grow to between 3.7 and 8 cm in length, weighing up to 8g. Females are larger than males.<\/p>\n

Where do wood frogs live?<\/h2>\n

Wood frogs\u00a0live\u00a0on the\u00a0ground\u00a0in\u00a0woodland,\u00a0forested swamps, tundra and grassland\u00a0across\u00a0Alaska, Canada, and the northeastern states of the United States.<\/p>\n

There are small populations living as far south as the state of Alabama. They are the only frog \u2013 and indeed the only amphibian \u2013 to live north of the Arctic Circle, capable of doing so because of their ability to survive being frozen solid during winter.<\/p>\n

Unlike most amphibians, who spend much of their lives in water \u2013 \u2018amphibian\u2019 is derived from a Greek word meaning \u2018living a double life\u2019 \u2013 the wood frog lives mostly on the forest floor, only seeking out pools to breed in springtime.<\/p>\n

How do wood frogs survive freezing?<\/h2>\n
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