Posted by Bo Janssen on September 21, 2005

Q: I bought tadpoles in the summerfor my pond. They of course are now frogs.

My question, how do I keep them over the winter. I live in Canada.

Thanks,

Bo

A: Whenever I'm faced with a question of this kind, I ask myself, "what would this animal/plant do in nature?". This always helps one think through how to handle a situation like this. As cold weather approaches in the fall, different frogs have various strategies for overwintering. The Northern Leopard Frog finds a secluded place at the bottom of a lake or pond in which to hibernate. Wood Frogs find places in the forest floor where they can dig down a ways to escape the worst of winter cold. I'm not entirely sure about Green Frogs but I believe they too find a secluded area in a pond to overwinter. Since frogs can absorb some oxygen through their skin, even though they're underwater, they can still get enough oxygen to live. When spring arrives and things warm up, the frogs leave their locations and begin actively living again.

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You didn't say whether or not your pond is a small goldfish-type pond or not but make sure your pond has some mud and/or leaves in the bottom. Your frogs (if they're Leopard or Green Frogs) can settle in down there and overwinter. It's best to have your pond deep enough so it doesn't freeze to the bottom although it's a bit late for that now!

It would be helpful for you to look online or in a field guide to identify the species of frog you have. This will help you decide what they'll need for survival this winter. But basically, I'm saying that your frogs will take care of the overwintering details on their own and don't need help from you. Best of luck and I trust you'll have many frogs next spring as your reward.

John Wiessinger ( September 21, 2005)