# How long can an amphibian stay in suspended animation? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 6, 2016, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-an-amphibian-stay-in-suspended-animation/756686 "2016-06-06T23:20:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CrowTitanium](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bc8723/32.png) [@CrowTitanium](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrowTitanium)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2016, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-an-amphibian-stay-in-suspended-animation/756686/1 "2016-06-06T23:20:50Z")
I was digging in some pretty tightly-packed soil recently, and found two salamanders (or maybe newts) buried about six feet down They were alive & seemed healthy, though they must have been buried for about a century. I’ve heard of frogs being found in rocks & trees; how long can amphibians live with no air, food or water? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2016, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-an-amphibian-stay-in-suspended-animation/756686/2 "2016-06-06T23:43:42Z")
Some burrowing frogs can survive without food or water for around 10 months, and at an extreme maybe close to 2 years. Of course, they can’t survive without some air. [Stories of frogs or toads surviving in rocks for decades or longer are certainly impossible.](https://skeptoid.com/episodes/4223) [QUOTE=CrowTitanium] though they must have been buried for about a century. [/QUOTE] Why do you think that? Salamanders can burrow rather deeply. ---
**Author:** ![CrowTitanium](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bc8723/32.png) [@CrowTitanium](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrowTitanium)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2016, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-an-amphibian-stay-in-suspended-animation/756686/3 "2016-06-07T21:26:27Z")
Six feet deep, through soil that’s very rocky & needs a pick to break through? It seemed highly unlikely… ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2016, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-an-amphibian-stay-in-suspended-animation/756686/4 "2016-06-07T21:29:16Z")
Did you dig the hole in one uninterrupted session? Or is it possible that you dug most of the hole one day, then the amphibians fell or crawled into it overnight, then when you came back the next day, they were sheltering underneath loose clods of earth that you hadn’t yet cleared from the hole? ---
**Author:** ![CrowTitanium](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bc8723/32.png) [@CrowTitanium](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrowTitanium)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2016, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-an-amphibian-stay-in-suspended-animation/756686/5 "2016-06-07T21:33:16Z")
> **[The Frog in the Stone](https://skeptoid.com/episodes/4223)** > > Stories of living frogs being found encased in solid rock have a more interesting (and reality-based) explanation. Found this. Due to the lack of tightly-controlled conditions, I have to assume another explanation for the two salamanders. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2016, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-an-amphibian-stay-in-suspended-animation/756686/6 "2016-06-08T00:05:49Z")
> [@CrowTitanium](#): > > Six feet deep, through soil that’s very rocky & needs a pick to break through? It seemed highly unlikely… That doesn’t mean there aren’t any crevices in it a small animal can get through.