During the bitter winters of Alaska and Canada, the wood frog achieves a biological feat that seems impossible. As temperatures drop below freezing, ice crystals begin to form beneath the frog's skin and between its muscle fibers. Instead of dying, the frog initiates an extreme survival mechanism.
The frog pumps massive amounts of glucose from its liver into its bloodstream. This sugar acts as a natural antifreeze inside the cells, preventing the water inside them from turning to ice, which would burst the delicate cell walls. However, the rest of the body outside the cells freezes entirely solid.
For weeks or even months, up to sixty five percent of the water in the frog's body remains frozen. During this state, the frog has no heartbeat, no blood circulation, and no brain activity. To any observer, the animal appears completely dead.
When spring arrives, the frog thaws from the inside out. Within hours, its heart begins to beat on its own, its lungs take in air, and the frog simply hops away to find food and mate.
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Disclaimer: This video is for information and entertainment purposes, based on public scientific sources, with illustrative imagery.
