![]() They hibernate by nestling down into the leafy litter on the forest floor. Most frogs survive northern winters by hibernating deep under water, in ponds, lakes and streams-they are cold and dormant but their body temperature never falls below freezing. Biologists have studied wood frog hibernation and what they’ve learned is truly astonishing. This mystery has intrigued scientists for a long time. How do these delicate little creatures endure the intense, protracted, iron-cold subarctic winter? Remember, frogs are cold blooded, so their body temperature is about the same as the surrounding air. This is the winter world in which the wood frog must survive. Almost certainly, there were hibernating wood frogs near Prospect Creek when that record was set. Prospect Creek, just south of the Brooks Range, had the coldest temperature ever recorded in Alaska-minus 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Winter brings some of the earth’s coldest temperatures: it is not unusual to have temperatures of minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Summer days stretch to 24 hours and temperatures can climb into the 90’s. The northern forests of Alaska and Canada have some of the most dramatic temperature ranges in the world. The most remarkable thing about wood frogs happens not in the summer when they transform from tadpoles to frogs, but in the winter when they hibernate. Wood frog's winter habitat: Boreal Forest
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