December 26, 2010 - Cold Comforter
Welcome to the Nature Notebook.

Imagine not being able to stay warmer than the water temperature surrounding you. For humans that can result in hypothermia. For frogs it is a matter of surviving the winter. Amphibians regulate their body temperature based on the temperature of their environment. On cool mornings during spring, summer and fall they move into the sun to warm themselves and elevate their body temperature. If they become too warm, they just slip into cool waters or head for shade. Winter, though, brings different challenges. Fortunately for pond dwellers, water gives up its heat gradually, allowing frogs and other pond critters to acclimate. Surface ice also insulates warmer waters below from freezing air temperatures. Frogs might move about slowly under the ice, but most wintering frogs tuck themselves into the pond bottom under a nice, warm comforter of mud.

This is PPL's naturalist, Jon Beam, with the Nature Notebook for WVIA.