In Ohio, several hibernating individuals have been found in springs and in masses of leaves and aquatic vegetation on the bottom of small ponds (Walker, 1946). In Maine, green frogs hibernate either underwater or underground from October–March (Hunter et al., 1999). Minton (1972) notes that adults near Indianapolis, Indiana, seek cover from early December to early March and that juveniles emerge earlier in the season than do adults. Depending on the species, they may burrow underground, hide beneath leaves, or lurk at the bottom of a pond. (1998) cites an instance where a large number (25, including 4 gravid females) of green frogs were caught on land near a wetland during a cold snap in northern Wisconsin. Yes, frogs do hibernate in the winter months. The frog followed by Bohnsack (1951) was found beneath 5 cm (2 in) of compact leaf litter in an oak-hickory forest near Pickney, Michigan. Green frog adults typically overwinter in water (Dickerson, 1906 Walker, 1946 Pope, 1947 Wright and Wright, 1949 Harding and Holman, 1999) but will occasionally overwinter on land (Bohnsack, 1951). Both tadpoles and adults require aquatic sites that do not completely freeze and that also maintain enough oxygen during the winter (Oldfield and Moriarty, 1994). In Maine, they remain under silt and dead vegetation during the winter (Hunter et al., 1999). Tadpoles probably remain active and grow during the winter in Louisiana but do not transform until warm weather (Dundee and Rossman, 1989). While overwintering, and despite cold temperatures, tadpoles remain active and likely feed (Getz, 1958). Green frog tadpoles will typically, but not always, overwinter for 1 yr prior to metamorphosing the following spring (Martof, 1952 Richmond, 1964 Vogt, 1981). They suggested that flowing water is used because it remains unfrozen and provides adequate oxygen. Lamoureux and Madison (1999) tracked 23 green frogs and found that they made extensive movements in late fall away from summer breeding ponds to areas of flowing water in streams and seeps. Green frogs probably do not migrate en masse to breeding sites. On the other hand, more energy is required to keep the metabolism high to protect the body from freezing. Frog's Hibernation: Why Do Frog's Hibernate: Hibernation is, in fact, a protection mechanism for frogs. So much so that most species get enough O2 from absorption through specialized patches of skin. Keep reading till the very end, and do not forget to maintain your pet diary. However, hibernating amphibians when hibernating have extremely low oxygen requirements. In summary, adults will hibernate in both water and on land, although underwater seems to be the most common site. The following is from Michael Lannoo (2005) Amphibian Declines: The Conservation Status of United States Species. Which answer is correct?Īnswer: Both of your answers could be correct. One specialist said they are trying to get to the woods to hibernate for winter and one shared that they can stay in the pond as long as it doesn’t freeze. We had to place a net five to six feet up to keep leaves and acorns out of the filtering system and now the frogs are jumping on the net. Question: My husband and I love to build wildlife habitat areas and have built a large pond with a strategic filtering system in the pond.
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