The extremely high sugar level in Wood Frog blood apparently does no harm because the frozen animal's metabolic rate is extremely low and the sugar is quickly removed from the bloodstream by the liver when thawing occurs. Some of the sugar even fuels the amorous amphibian's trek to the breeding pond. Frozen frogs are not the only animal ice cubes to survive winter cold snaps in the solid state. Scientists have recently discovered that Garter Snakes, normally the last snakes to retire in autumn and the first to emerge in spring, are able to tolerate a night or two of being frozen if caught away from their hibernation chambers. Adult Box Turtles have some ability to survive freezing and newly hatched Painted Turtles freeze solid and thaw out many times while remaining in their nests during their first winter.
Animals deal with winter cold in a variety of marvelous ways.
Some highly mobile creatures, such as birds and Monarch Butterflies, simply fly to warmer climates. Many insects overwinter as eggs or grubs, the adults having perished with the first frost or before. A few adult insects, like the Mourning Cloak Butterfly, survive the winter cold by seeking shelter and perhaps adding biotic antifreeze molecules to their body fluids. Deer Mice and White Footed Mice, normally solitary creatures, may den communally during winter, huddling together for warmth. Foxes grow dense winter coats which enable them to remain active and without discomfort on all but the coldest of winter days.