University of Alaska Fairbanks research explores wood frog survival

A retrospective look at a 1996 study conducted by Brian Barnes, an associate professor of zoophysiology at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, highlights the unique biological capabilities of wood frogs.

Barnes sought wood frogs for research into how these amphibians survive extreme Alaskan winters. Scientists have since discovered that the wood frogs' internal body temperatures can drop to 0.6 degrees below zero Fahrenheit during the overwintering process, allowing them to freeze in the fall and remain active in the spring.

The original research involved collecting frogs from the Fairbanks area to study their overwintering biology, a topic intended for use in university biology classes to demonstrate how northern wildlife survives harsh climates.