Arctic Caterpillars Freeze For Years

The Arctic woolly bear caterpillar cannot eat enough during the short summer to complete its transformation. Natural antifreeze chemicals in its blood and tissues allow it to freeze solid during winter, thaw in spring, and continue feeding. Earlier estimates suggested this cycle could last 14 years before the caterpillar became a moth, although later research revised the typical cycle to about seven years. It remains one of the world's longest-lived caterpillars.

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