This frog freezes solid and wakes up
Its heart stops, it turns to ice, then it's ready for spring!
Sixty-five percent of an Alaskan wood frog's body turns into solid…
Gut call — how extreme does this actually get?
Reality tends to overshoot. Pick your ceiling.
- Its heart stops, it turns to ice, then it's ready for spring!
- For up to seven months, this frog is clinically dead.
- This process is so efficient that the frog can survive temperatures as low as zero degrees Fahrenheit without any brain damage or tissue loss.
The Alaskan wood frog spends its winter as a literal rock. It stops breathing, its heart stops beating, and its blood ceases to flow while its internal organs are encased in ice.
Most animals die when they freeze because ice crystals shards pierce cell walls like tiny needles. The wood frog avoids this by flooding its blood with glucose and urea. These chemicals act as a biological antifreeze, lowering the freezing point and keeping the interior of the cells liquid even while the spaces between them turn to ice.
For up to seven months, this frog is clinically dead. It sits under leaf litter, frozen stiff and brittle, waiting for the spring thaw.
Two questions. Prove you actually read it.
Get both right and this discovery is certified: +50 XP toward your next rank. No account needed.
100 questions that make people say “wait, what?”
Get the complete Ultimate Trivia Pack instantly. It is free right now, works on mobile, and is printable.
Discussion (0)
No account needed. Drop your name, say what surprised you.
Loading…