Hobbies And Interests
Migrating to Hibernate
Frogs don't like the freezing temperatures that occur in the winter, so they migrate to deeper lakes to hibernate. During the winter, their body temperature drops to almost the same temperature as the outdoors, and their breathing and heart rate slow. They are in a state of torpor, or dormancy, during winter.
Taking the Plunge
The frog begins its migration journey in the evening or on a day that is rainy or has high humidity. Frogs avoid getting into deep lakes until necessary. They avoid this until the last minute because they know that the fish will eat them. While they wait to take the plunge, the frog stays along the shore in the vegetation. Those late-arriving frogs that show up when the weather is already cold have to swim out to deep water, where they begin hibernating.
Specific Requirements
How the winter is spent and where depends on the specific species of frog. The Northern Leopard Frog passes the winter at the bottom of a deep lake, which is frozen over. They hide behind debris, rocks or logs to escape detection by predators. Other frogs hibernate under leaf litter. Aquatic frogs take in oxygen through their skin from the water that they are hibernating in. They spend the winter lying on mud at the bottom of the lake or buried in the mud. Terrestrial frogs, such as the spring peeper, hibernate on land. This type of frog isn't good at digging, so it finds itself a place inside a log or hole and burrows down into the leaf litter. A frog has natural antifreeze chemicals in its system. Some frogs that live where it is particularly cold are able to survive even after being frozen solid.
Cold-Blooded Creatures
When it's cold, frogs and toads that stay on land and which are cold blooded bury themselves in mud. Their body processes slow down in conjunction with lower temperatures. When the weather warms up, frogs sun themselves because they are trying to get their body temperature to rise so they are able to move efficiently.
Believe It or Not!
A week before the horrendous earthquake occurred in China in May of 2011, thousands of frogs were seen migrating. The frogs reportedly were crossing busy streets with apparently no concern about being run over. Some of the Chinese felt that this was a bad omen and indicated an imminent disaster. The government assured them that this was not so, that they were simply observing natural migration for propagation purposes. Turns out, the frogs sensed the upcoming natural disaster and were getting as far away as they possibly could. Chinese scientists noted in retrospect that animals have a better sense of detecting upcoming natural disasters than do humans.