Snow flies’ survival mechanism

Chionea_araneoides,_female,_Ylöjärvi,_Finland

Snow flies are flightless flies in USA and Canada. Scientists discovered that snow flies can amputate their legs as a last resort to defend their inner organs from freeze damage. The flies started freezing at -7 degrees Celsius and started amputating their legs one by one, some even amputated 5 legs before succumbing to the cold.

 

Photo by: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chionea_araneoides,_female,_Yl%C3%B6j%C3%A4rvi,_Finland.jpg

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