How do salamanders not freeze to death when they hibernate?

Question

They hibernate under rocks and logs, right? Well, wouldn't their bodies freeze when they get buried by snow and ice? How do they not die?

Answer 1

When I was a kid I used to catch salamanders in the log pond behind the house, put them in a jar half full of water and leave them out overnight.  Sometimes, the next day the water would be frozen.  I took the salamanders to my friends.  We found they were cold blooded and their metabolism went down to next to nothing when they were frozen.  The body didn't freeze even when the water was.  We found the ice acted as an insulator.

Answer 2

"Sudden frost is a serious problem for the Siberian salamander. It needs time to adapt to the cold and produce the 'antifreeze' chemicals that replace water in blood and cells and protect tissues from damage by sharp ice crystals. Some animals use glucose, glycerol and related compounds to protect them from freezing in this way. The exact mechanism in the Siberian salamander is not known."

Answer 3

I think that there skin keeps them warm because of all of its layers, also maybe its fatness.

Answer 4

Some salamanders, as said before, produce antifreeze. This can also be witnessed with the gray tree frog. This antifreeze prevents the ice crystal from damaging tissue by rupturing cells.