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WOTD #2105

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Today's Wonder of the Day was inspired by Mrs. Wyman's from Maynard, MA. Mrs. Wyman's Wonders, " What is a vernal pool? " Thanks for WONDERing with us, Mrs. Wyman's !

What do fairy shrimp have in common with rare flowers? They all can some of the conditions on Earth and often find their homes in something called vernal pools.

Vernal pools are seasonal wetlands that can be found in grassland areas with particular conditions . For example, vernal pools can often be found on the west coast of the United States, as well as flat areas of the northeastern and midwestern states.

Vernal pools go by a number of different names, including vernal ponds, pools, temporary pools, and seasonal wetlands. As their names indicate, vernal pools are characterized by the changes they in different seasons.

Winter is known as the for vernal pools. When winter rains arrive, water begins to accumulate in vernal pools. Vernal pools can be as small as small puddles and as large as a lake.

The water bacteria and that feed on the dead plants and leaves at the bottom of the pool. come along next, multiplying rapidly and serving as a food source for other aquatic invertebrates that begin to grow from seeds, , eggs, and that have been resting in the soil waiting for rain.

It's not long before all these aquatic species look like an all-you-can-eat buffet for the frogs, snakes, birds, and mammals that live nearby. Vernal pools thus serve an important role in the grassland ecosystems in which they appear.

When spring arrives, vernal pools begin to , allowing plant seeds to take root in the muddy soil. Hundreds of plant species can grow in a vernal pool. Sometimes vernal pools are the only places you'll find these rare plants.

As the plants grow, they begin to flower in bursts of color. The variety of wildflowers found around vernal pools draws visitors who come to see their many colors as the weather gets warmer.

When summer arrives, plants up and turn brown. The water in a vernal pool disappears and the soil becomes and cracked. The lasts throughout the summer and fall in most areas.

The many plants and organisms that flourished in the winter and spring leave behind seeds, eggs, , and . Some of these will continue to nourish insects, birds, and rodents throughout the season. Those that will reawaken when the winter rains return.

Although the time of their appearance and size can vary from year to year depending upon the weather, vernal pools provide a unique environment that supports numerous rare plant and animal species. Scientists routinely study vernal pools each year, seeking to understand the amazing adaptations that allow plants and animals to the long periods when the pools are .

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Today's Wonder of the Day was inspired by Mrs. Wyman's from Maynard, MA. Mrs. Wyman's Wonders, " What is a vernal pool? " Thanks for WONDERing with us, Mrs. Wyman's ! What do fairy shrimp have in common with rare flowers?

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WOTD #1455

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Today's Wonder of the Day was inspired by mark from Lockhart, TX. mark Wonders, " Do frogs hibernate? " Thanks for WONDERing with us, mark!

When Old Man Winter comes along, it's natural to stay indoors. After all, it can be dangerous to your health when the weather outside gets frightful. But what about all the animals in the world?

You probably know that certain animals decide to hibernate for the winter. Large furry bears find a place where they can stay reasonably warm and simply go into a deep sleep-like state for several months. Other animals, such as birds, migrate to a warmer climate. Not all animals can migrate or hibernate, though.

Take frogs, for example. They don't have thick skin and fur like a bear. They also can't take to the skies to fly south for the winter. Yet, some frogs, such as the wood , live all over the United States and even as far north as Alaska and above the Arctic Circle. How do these little creatures the temperatures in these areas?

Recently, scientists have studied wood frogs and discovered some amazing things about these unique animals. So what do wood frogs do when the temperature drops below the freezing mark? They !

As the September air gets colder and colder, wood frogs that live in the woods take cover under layers of leaves and other ground cover. Then something miraculous occurs: they stop breathing, their hearts stop beating, and their stops flowing. Eventually, they .

About two-thirds of the in their bodies turns to ice. To the naked eye, they appear dead. They don't move. If you tried to bend one of their arms, it would break. Yet life still exists deep inside.

To study wood frogs in freezing environments, scientists attached tiny radio transmitters to a group of frogs. The transmitters allowed scientists to track their movements and study them in their frozen state when they made their homes for the winter.

Over the course of two years of study, not one of the frogs died. Scientists learned that the frogs could withstand temperatures as low as 0º F for as long as seven months. These findings surprised scientists, who had previously believed that these frogs could only for a few weeks in warmer temperatures.

Scientists discovered that the inside individual cells does not , but the in between cells does solid. Cells still , but they can't communicate with each other.

Wood frogs have special nucleating proteins in their that cause the in their to first. Cells begin to as ice draws out of nearby cells. This process could result in death if it weren't for a substance that acts like antifreeze within cells.

Scientists believe early / cycles help wood frogs to convert stored in their livers into in their cells. They think high levels of inside cells allow wood frogs to being frozen for so long, because the keeps sufficient inside cells to keep them alive.

Amazingly, when spring temperatures arrive, frozen wood frogs slowly out. Their hearts start beating, their starts flowing, and they begin to breathe again. gets converted back to , and they're eventually able to hop away to the nearest pond or lake to start the mating process.

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Today's Wonder of the Day was inspired by mark from Lockhart, TX. mark Wonders, " Do frogs hibernate? " Thanks for WONDERing with us, mark! When Old Man Winter comes along, it's natural to stay indoors. After all, it can be dangerous to your health when the weather outside gets frightful.

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WOTD #188

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Today's curious question doesn't have an easy answer. Although many people believe that frogs and toads are completely different creatures, the truth is a bit more complicated .

Scientists animals and plants based on various characteristics . Frogs and toads are both members of the same - Amphibia - which means that they're both amphibians.

Amphibians are cold-blooded vertebrates that spend the early part of their lives in water (breathing with ) and the rest of their lives on land (breathing with ).

Moreover, frogs and toads are also both members of the same - Anura - which means that they're closely related and share many similar characteristics .

There are hundreds of individual of frogs and toads within the Anura . However, the many within the Anura can appear quite different, leading people to believe that toads and frogs aren't the same.

The popular distinction drawn between frogs and toads is probably best viewed as a distinction between true "frogs" (members of the Ranidae ) and true "toads" (members of the Bufonidae ). The Ranidae contains more than 400 of frogs, while the Bufonidae contains more than 300 of toads.

Frogs can look and act quite differently from toads. Here are some of the differences you may notice:

Frogs:

Need to live near water to survive.

Have smooth, moist skin that may look or seem .

Have a narrow body with round eyes that .

Have long hind legs that help them take long, high jumps.

Have many predators.

Toads:

Don't need to live near water to survive.

Have rough, dry, bumpy skin.

Have a wide body with oval eyes that don't as much as frogs' eyes.

Have short hind legs that allow them to take small hops rather than jumps.

Don't have many predators because their skin has a bitter taste and smell that deters predators.

Before you become too confident in your ability to distinguish frogs from toads, though, remember that these differences don't hold true across all .

In fact, certain can fit into both categories. For example, it's possible to find a frog with bumpy skin or even a toad!

Near the , frogs and toads can look quite similar. Sometimes, the only way to tell them apart is to look inside them at things like their teeth and bones. Good luck catching them, though!

If you do happen to catch a frog or a toad to get a closer look, don't worry about getting warts on your hands. Neither frogs nor toads will give you warts.

That's just a myth that probably came about because of the bumpy skin common to many toads. A toad's bumps aren't really warts. They're a special adaptation that helps it blend into its environment.

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Leap on over to Wonderopolis today and hang out at our pad. If you don't, you'll be green with envy. And we'll say, "We toad you so!"

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WOTD #1911

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you're through the dense rainforest of South America. Along the way, you up at the trees in amazement. Later, you crouch down to get a better look at some bugs. A flash of color catches your eye and you realize it's a poison dart frog.

You're tempted to get a closer look at this amphibian but you WONDER, are poison dart frogs really that ? In this Wonder of the Day, let's find out!

There are many that make up the family of poison frogs native to Central and South America. These frogs tend to live amongst the leaves on the rainforest near ponds or streams, although a few live in the trees and never come down.

Poison frogs are known for their , vivid colors. You can find them in just about any color combination you can think of. The colors you're likely to see include red, black, yellow, green, blue, gold, copper, orange, silver, and pink.

These flashy colors make poison frogs stand out, but they don't make them easy prey. Instead, their coloring is a defense mechanism that protects them from predators. Their colors serve as a that their skin is , so it's best not to eat them. In order to be easily seen by potential predators, poison frogs are diurnal, which means they're mainly active during the day.

Exactly how are poison frogs? That can be hard to . Some are not at all. Most poison frog are considered but not deadly. The poison in their skin can cause swelling, nausea, and if touched or eaten without necessarily being fatal.

A few , however, are considered to be among the deadliest animals on Earth. For example, the golden poison dart frog has especially skin with enough poison to kill as many as 10 grown men.

The indigenous peoples of Colombia are known to dip the tips of their blowgun darts in this powerful poison when hunting. This practice is what gives poison dart frogs their popular name.

Each poison frog develops a unique kind of toxin, and scientists believe the poisons come from the frogs' diet, which can include various rainforest insects such as ants, beetles, centipedes, and termites. This is why poison frogs kept in zoos or in captivity are not . Without the unique diet provided by rainforest insects, these frogs never develop the poisons.

Although to humans and animals, frog poisons may soon provide medicinal benefits to humans. Scientists researching frog poisons believe they can be modified and turned into medicines to treat pain and heart and circulatory conditions.

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Even if you're looking for Prince Charming, you'll probably want to skip kissing the subject of today's Wonder of the Day!

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WOTD #834

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Today's Wonder of the Day was inspired by Kennah. Kennah Wonders, " How long does it take tadpoles to turn into frogs? " Thanks for WONDERing with us, Kennah!

Do you like frogs? Many kids love to see these tiny creatures hopping around the or a local . They're even fun to catch and keep as a pet. One of the most interesting things about frogs, though, is how they begin their lives.

A mother frog doesn't give birth to a live baby frog that looks like a version of a regular frog. Instead, she lays eggs that - if they're lucky - may one day turn into a frog.

Like caterpillars that become beautiful butterflies , frog eggs undergo a similar . Eggs that hatch in the water from tadpoles into air- frogs that can live on land.

Tadpoles are sometimes known by other names, such as , porwigles, or pinkwinks. The word "tadpole" comes from the Middle English word taddepol, which is made up of the words tadde ("toad") and pol ("head").

After hatching from their eggs, tadpoles stay hidden for a while until their and muscles begin to grow. Early on, they're very fragile creatures.

Over time, tadpoles learn to swim and breathe through their . Their chubby bodies and long tails don't look anything like the frogs they will eventually become, though.

As youngsters , tadpoles from plants and rocks. As they grow and get older, their start to into their bodies. Legs develop first, followed by arms. Their tails also begin to shrink and they start to eat dead insects and plants in addition to .

When their lungs develop fully, tadpoles can leave the water and live on land as a new frog. New frogs - sometimes called froglets - may have a stubby tail for a little while, but it eventually disappears .

So how long does this process take? Scientists estimate the total transformation from tadpole to frog takes approximately 12-16 weeks most of the time. However, in cold places or at high altitudes, the tadpole to frog can take an entire winter.

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Today's Wonder of the Day takes a look at some tiny aquatic creatures!