New Northernmost Entry

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jamezevanz
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New Northernmost Entry

Post by jamezevanz »

Moved Wood Frog records one degree of latitude North and knocked off another Alaska borough. 90 miles short of the Arctic Circle. I'll get one above it one of these days.

http://www.naherp.com/viewrecord.php?r_id=260105
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Brian Hubbs
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Re: New Northernmost Entry

Post by Brian Hubbs »

Congratulations! That's really cool. :thumb:
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jamezevanz
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Re: New Northernmost Entry

Post by jamezevanz »

Thank you, and thank you for your two kingsnake books, I found them very helpful when I was in California.
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SurfinHerp
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Re: New Northernmost Entry

Post by SurfinHerp »

Well done Jamez!

Do you think global warming is expanding wood frogs range to the North?

Catch any fish in that same area?


Cheers,


Jeff
Tamara D. McConnell
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Re: New Northernmost Entry

Post by Tamara D. McConnell »

Congratulations, James! Exciting entry!
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jamezevanz
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Re: New Northernmost Entry

Post by jamezevanz »

Jeff- Other species that depend on forest ecosystems are expanding north of the Brooks Range and Arctic Circle as the tree line creeps further north along rivers and streams. This is documented in moose and snowshoe hare, and others. It wouldn't surprise me if wood frogs were able to do the same. However in many parts of Alaska, the warmer weather is also bringing less snowfall-- or at least causing the snowpack to melt at intervals and expose bare ground to later cold periods. Dormant wood frogs rely on deep snow to insulate them from extreme subzero temps that would otherwise kill them despite the natural antifreeze in their body. So there has been some concern that wood frog populations up here might suffer. As far as I know, it's all theoretical. The University of Alaska studies them pretty extensively with an eye toward exploiting their antifreeze properties for medical purposes and the last I read was that if the frogs are frozen much below zero, the survival rate plummets. Based on that various local sources have concluded that the type of winters that we've been having (little snow, periodic melt-offs, bare ground in January and February) must hurt their populations. But I haven't seen any population studies to support the assumption. I couldn't say objectively whether I see less of them than I did as a kid. I spend less time looking for them, but they still reliably turn up in all the same places they used to.

Caught a few grayling up that way, but it was a bit early and the fish hadn't moved into their summer feeding areas in large numbers so fishing was slow.
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