Good Morning Watershed Explorers,
Today's critter spotlight is a little different, in honor of the first snow that we had on Friday, the spotlight will highlight what a few critters do when it gets cold.
Wood Frog:
The wood frog is an extremely cool amphibian that does something incredible when the weather gets cold. It freezes into a frog popsicle. Check out this really cool video about this adaptation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLPeehsXAr4
Ladybugs:
Ladybugs huddle together to keep warm. They will often find a crevice in a stonewall or the eaves of a house and gather all together.
Dragonflies:
Adult dragonflies do not survive in winter. They will die once the whether becomes cold. However, their young, or nymphs, live in the water, and will bury themselves in the mud under the ponds, rivers, streams, and lakes where they live. Once the warmer weather returns, nymphs will emerge and begin to hunt and eat again. They are ferocious predators.
Monarch butterflies:
Monarchs take an amazing migratory journey. Monarchs in Eastern North America fly to the Sierra Madre Mountains of Mexico, and the Monarchs in Western North America overwinter in California. Check out this video to view their incredible journey! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AN8-pNnvJ5s
I hope that you enjoyed learning a little more about these few critters and what they do to adapt when it gets cold. Remember, we humans adapt as well, however, rather than huddling indoors to stay warm, I encourage you to throw on some layers of warmth and get outside to explore. The temperatures may be decreasing, but there is so much excitement that awaits in the great outdoors.
Happy Exploring Watershed Explorer Scientists,
Mrs. Morissette