National Wildlife Week: Friday Frogs And Flowers from Wildlife
Promise Goodbye, season of oddball winter weather and
snowpocalypse(s). Hello, spring! Spring officially starts this
Saturday, March 20—mark the occasion by continuing to celebrate
the 73rd annual National Wildlife Week! Because it’s Friday, and
I’m big on alliteration, let’s take a closer look at flatlining
frogs and fantastic flowers. Spring Into The Season The North
American wood frog, also known as Rana Sylvatica or “masked
frog”, is an iconic symbol of spring. If you were walking
through a wintertime forest, you’d have no idea the wood frog
was even there—but it is! Wood frogs hibernate in winter and
freeze their bodies. Yes, the frogs freeze themselves. Winter’s
cold temperatures set off signals inside the frog, directing it
to freeze its internal organs. Not much happens next—no
breathing, no kidney function, and no heartbeat. When spring
arrives, the frog’s pulse reboots, beginning this annual
phenomenon of spontaneous resumption. Within a