Cool Wood Frog
by Wayne Jones
Where I live, amphibians that have not hibernated by October are usually living in slow motion. That was the case with this wood frog. After getting a couple of "as-is" shots, I tried moving it a couple of inches for a better angle, and then moving one more colorful leaf into the scene, as it just sat there for a long exposure. Hopefully, the Sun warmed it up later in the day so it could find a secure hiding place to spend the winter. (Unlike more aquatic frogs, they simply hide under a rock or log and completely freeze for the winter. Come spring, they simply thaw out.)
Canon 5D Mk. II
Sigma 150 Macro
2 sec. @ f/16; ISO 160
Comments
10 commentsI love the contrast with the green of the leaves makes the image mauito attractive ...
Carolyn: Don't let those cute little toads freeze; they would die. Most amphibians do hibernate more securely so they won't freeze. Toads for instance, burrow down below the frost line so they don't freeze, and most frogs survive the winter in a lethargic state on the bottom of water bodies that don't freeze all the way down. On land, actually freezing and thawing (like this wood frog and some tree frogs, who are not good at digging) is quite rare. It's made possible by high sugar levels that prevent ice crystals from forming in vital organs.