Amphibians and reptiles are cold-blooded vertebrates (animals with backbones) that usually lay eggs and are inactive from late fall until spring. With its rich variety of habitats, the river and forests are home to many different frogs, snakes and turtles. Frogs need wetlands and shallow water to lay eggs, while adults live in woodlands and wet meadows. Some can freeze solid in water. Most snakes in this region are non-venomous, lay eggs on land, hunt in rivers and wetlands and spend the winter underground in hidden cavities below the frost line. Turtles lay eggs on land but live in the water, emerging to bask in the sun to speed up digestion, and moving slowly under the ice in cold weather.
