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Morning Start: The wood frog can hold its pee for eight months

Here’s the start to your morning and your week
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A wood frog spotted in Wolf Creek in Whitehorse on June 20, 2015. This special species of frog has the ability to freeze months at a time without dying. (Heidi Miller/Black Press Media)

Happy Monday! After a sunny weekend with temperatures in the 30s, we start the week off with clouds and a chance of showers. Lightning is also forecasted for this week, which could potentially start more fires around the province.

Fun fact: The wood frog can hold its pee in for up to eight months

Wood frogs in Alaska can hold in their pee for eight months. Apparently, they do this to help them stick it through the region’s long winter season.

When wood frogs hold it in, urea — the main waste in urine — gets recycled into nitrogen, which is helpful for the wood frog as it hibernates and freezes. The nitrogen protects the wood frog’s cells and tissues even as its heart, brain and bloodstream stop and freeze.

Weather forecast

In Kelowna:

Kelowna

In Penticton:

Penticton

In Vernon:

Vernon

In Salmon Arm:

Salmon Arm

In Revelstoke:

Revelstoke

In case you missed it: Know how to evacuate in event of a fire, say B.C. emergency management officials

It’s not worth the risk to stay behind.

That was the message from Emergency Management BC during a teleconference to update on the provincial wildfire situation.

“With the high threat of wildfires, we really want to let people know they need to be prepared to leave at short notice,” said Pader Brach, Manager, Response and Recovery for Environmental Emergency Program.

And that’s it for today. Have a good start to your week!


@twilamam
twila.amato@blackpress.ca

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Twila Amato

About the Author: Twila Amato

Twila was a radio reporter based in northern Vancouver Island. She won the Jack Webster Student Journalism Award while at BCIT and received a degree in ancient and modern Greek history from McGill University.
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