A-Z in April blog challenge – Alaskan wood frog!
Amazing Alaskan wood frogs – they live in Alaska, obviously, and are attractive, unremarkable-looking, greeny-brown frogs about 3- 7cm in size.
But they have an extraordinary ability. As it becomes colder, they burrow under leaves and mosses, and when it begins to snow and then freeze – Alaskan wood frogs freeze too!
Even their eyes and brains freeze. They stop breathing, their hearts stop beating… and yet they are still alive. Because when spring arrives they thaw, and as the ice and snow melts to water, they hop off to the nearest pond to mate.
Amazing enough to be an April fool – and yet, it is not!
Alaskan wood frogs are not endangered, but they are threatened by increasing numbers of deformities. Scientists are investigating the reasons – frogs are very sensitive, and taking notice of what is affecting them may prevent problems that could affect us.
There is a poem about this incredible little frog in my book, Animal Magic .
Back tomorrow with an awesome animal beginning with ‘B’!
Illustration © Liz Brownlee
If you’d like to leap-blog to another A-Z Challenge blog then click here: A-Z Challenge blog list
References:
Professor Brian Barnes, Director, Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska
Fairbanks. Alaskan Wood Frogs, emails to Liz Brownlee 4-6 October 2011.
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lizbrownlee - poet 
Fascinating and fun too!
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Thank you!
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Hi Liz! Enjoyed your first post for the A to Z Challenge. I look forward to stopping by and checking out more of your posts.
Susanne
PUTTING WORDS DOWN ON PAPER
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Hi Susanne, thank you, I have to go out now and I am champing at the bit to read my 10! I will enjoy that later…
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You must have stayed up all night to be first off the mark!
Good luck to a fellow AtoZer.
Nice post BTW.
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Hi Liz, that is fascinating. A natural form of cryogenics, amazing. Look forward to reading your next one.
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Thanks, Phil! this comment, of all your comments was in spam for some reason!
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Great blog, Liz and I reckon you’ve got an original theme here, with the animals. And just look at that pic of Lola! Aaawwwww!
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Hello Fiona! I tried and tried to comment on your blog earlier, but came up against that Blogger thing again. Apparently I do not have the right to my own identity! It’s driving me mad, and I feel mean not being able to comment on some of those blogs that have commented on mine! The best I can do is like! People who have set up anonymous, I can post on there.
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Thanks for this – it’s gonna be an interesting blog to follow!
Good luck from fellow blogger Bex at: http://www.leavingcairo.blogspot.com – for all things about Greece
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Hi Bex, thank you. I went and had a look at your interesting blog but couldn’t post even as anon! Or maybe it’s being moderated? Hope so!
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