Nature Example
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The Frozen Frog
Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Click here for the license
Some frogs, like the Wood Frog in North America, can survive being frozen solid in winter!
How it works:
When winter comes, the frog's body starts to freeze. Its heart stops beating, and it stops breathing. The water (liquid) in its body turns into ice (solid). It becomes a "frog-sicle"! It has special sugar in its blood that protects its important bits from being damaged by the ice. When spring arrives, the frog thaws out (the ice melts back into liquid), its heart starts again, and it hops away!
💡 Fun Facts
- The frog's body can be more than 60% frozen solid.
- This special trick is called cryoprotection ('cold protection').
- This allows the frog to be the first one active in spring, as it doesn't have to burrow deep underground to escape the frost.