Springtails: Lovers of Winter Sunshine

Brought to you by Upper Valley Land Trust's Field Notes Friday!

"Programs Director Alison found some snow fleas on a warm(er) winter day to share with you all. There's no fleas like snow fleas because, well, snow fleas aren't truly fleas or even insects! More on that in the video.

Also in the video is a description of how snow fleas live in below zero temperatures by creating a protein called glycine. Interestingly, researchers at Queen's University in Canada have been researching this protein in hope that it could be used for transporting organs for transplant. This would be useful because glycine prevents the formation of ice crystals, so the organs could be stored at lower temperatures which would increase the time of their viability outside a living body."

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