What must wood frogs build up during the productive summer feeding season to ensure survival through the next winter?
Answer
Substantial fat reserves for long dormancy
The wood frog, due to its very early emergence and subsequent requirement to prepare for a long period of dormancy, must accumulate significant energy stores during the warmer, productive summer months. These accumulated fat reserves are crucial because they must sustain the frog throughout the next deep freeze of hibernation. A strong correlation exists where a highly productive summer feeding season directly results in higher survival rates through the following overwintering period.
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