Lucky's Pond: Evolution

(If you want to know about Lucky, please visit this picture and read the story! :) My Friend Lucky

This picture reminds me of illustrations of evolution that show prehistoric fish crawling onto land 400 million years ago. Those fish would eventually evolve into amphibeans 100 million years later! I can't even begin to get my mind around that number, can you? In any event, this little Lucky is doing a great job looking the part of Evolution! :) Every day there are more tadpoles crawling up onto the rocks, and there are a few without any tails now!! YAY!!

It takes 6-9 weeks for most tadpoles to transform into frogs, but some tadpoles delay this metamorphosis for at long as 6 months if it's too late in the year. The increasingly cold water triggers their body to overwinter as a tadpole, and finish their transformation when the water begins to warm up to the right temperature. Isn't that amazing?! The glucose (sugar) in their bloodstream acts like antifreeze, and in the case of most frog species, they are able to overwinter in ponds as long as the mud where they hibernate doesn't completely freeze. Unlike our Pacific Tree Frogs, the Wood Frog can become mostly frozen and its heart will actually stop beating! When the temperature warms up and they thaw out, its heart will begin beating again and it will be fine!! Incredible!

More fun froggy facts tomorrow, along with another picture from Lucky's Pond! :)

By the way, I've uploaded two other pictures today and I hope you'll visit them too!

Thanks to all of you who have visited and have left comments and favorites! I try to go to all of your pages within a day or two and is a highlight for me to see your beautiful photography! :)