Where Do My Frogs Go?
As snow, ice, and cold winds are headed our way our autumn jackets change to heavy winter coats, but what do frogs do to stay alive during the winter months? A common theory we hear is that they burrow into the mud on the bottom of streams and ponds, but that’s not entirely true.
Aquatic and terrestrial frogs go into a state of hibernation during the winter months in order to weather the cold temperatures. Some frogs actually have the ability to become partially frozen, to the point that their heart will stop beating, but don’t die due to the high concentrations of glucose in their systems that acts as antifreeze.
Aquatic frogs find a place on the bottom of a body of water on top of the mud to hibernate. They have to be in contact with oxygenated water in order to survive through the winter since their systems still need a good amount of oxygen, so they don’t burrow into the mud like some turtles do. You may even see them slowly swimming around every now and then.
Terrestrial frogs that you might find hanging around your pond will find a place to burrow into the ground to escape the cold. They might find an area a wooded area or in the flower beds near the pond. Many species of frogs will use old logs, crevices in rocks, or piles of leaves and compost.
So if you don’t see any of your frogs, they are just hiding, but they’ll be back! If you want to help, ensure that they survive the winter there are a few things you can do.
- For the aquatic frogs, make sure your pond always has a hole in the ice. This is important for your fish as well.
- Placing some lengths of pipe on the bottom of the pond will give your frogs and fish a place to safely hibernate.
- You can also leave some old logs or piles of rocks around the pond for the terrestrial frogs to hibernate under during the winter months.
Don’t worry! Your frogs will be back in the spring after they finish their winter nap.
Looking for more information on how to care for your pond during the winter months? You can find more tips in these previous blog posts:
