A grisly trick helps snow flies survive freezing: self-amputation
The insects cast off freezing limbs, preventing ice from spreading through their bodies
![A photo of a snow fly standing on ice.](https://i0.wp.com/www.sciencenews.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/061523_MR_snow-flies_feat.jpg?fit=1030%2C580&ssl=1)
In the wild, snow flies are often missing legs, like the insect shown here. The flightless flies may self-amputate limbs as a way to survive the cold.
Trasroid/Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0)