This Alaskan Frog Freezes Solid Every Winter, Then Comes Back to Life

 

Viktor Loki/Shutterstock.com

Alaskan wood frogs possess a remarkable survival strategy: they freeze solid each winter, halting heartbeat, breathing, and brain activity, yet revive quickly in spring. Their adaptation relies on ice-nucleating proteins and glucose, which acts as antifreeze, preventing lethal ice crystal damage. This controlled freeze allows them to endure up to seven months in suspended animation, appearing clinically dead. Once temperatures rise, they thaw evenly, restart vital functions, and immediately begin mating. Found as far north as the Arctic Circle, these frogs exemplify resilience. Their unique biology offers promising insights for organ preservation and emergency medicine.

Read more: This Alaskan Frog Freezes Solid Every Winter, Then Comes Back to Life - A-Z Animals