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Oversized Tadpole: |
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Karenstreet Member Joined: 04 Oct 2006 No. of posts: 1  View other posts by Karenstreet |
Posted: 04 Oct 2006 I have a very large tadpole in my pond in Egham in Surrey. It is currently approx 3 inches 8cm in size from head to the tip of its tail and still growing but no sign of any legs yet. It also differs from a common frog tadpole in that it has a more rounded head and a much thicker almost next-like tail. Can anyone help? |
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Caleb Forum Coordinator Joined: 17 Feb 2003 No. of posts: 448 View other posts by Caleb |
Posted: 04 Oct 2006 Common frog tadpoles do occasionally fail to metamorphose, but carry on growing. The ones I've seen have all been at the early hind limb bud stage. I don't know whether they overwinter and metamorphose in spring... The other possibility is of an introduced species- American Bullfrog and European green frogs (e.g. marsh frog, edible frog, pool frog) have large tadpoles, and have been found in the UK. Green frogs usually metamorphose into froglets of about 2-3 cm length, bullfrogs are much larger, at over 5cm. If one of these species bred in your pond, you'd almost certainly have already noticed the adult frogs. |
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herpetologic2 Senior Member Joined: 15 Jun 2004 No. of posts: 1369  View other posts by herpetologic2 |
Posted: 04 Oct 2006
Please put up a picture to the forum if you can with a scale feature such as a ruler
regards
Jon Vice Chair of ARG UK - self employed consultant - visit ARG UK & Alresford Wildlife |
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Peter Vaughan Senior Member Joined: 21 Mar 2005 No. of posts: 170 View other posts by Peter Vaughan |
Posted: 05 Oct 2006 As a youngster every year I collected frogspawn, or young tadpoles, and kept them outside in a tin bowl with some pond weed - usually with a reasonable number surving to the froglet stage. One year a couple did not metamorphose and so I kept them in my Mum's unheated greenhouse through the winter until, as I recall, they became froglets the following spring. Neither they, nor any other common frog tadpoles I've seen have approached 8cm - nearer 3cm I'd judge. But Karen's description reminded me of some giant tadpoles I saw in Florida - where they made up an unintended highlight of a visit to Disneyland a couple of years ago. They were occupying the shallows of a canal/river near the magic castle. I like to think they were not a planned part of the theme park but rather simply some local wildlife taking advantage of an available niche. I would have liked to have also met Donald Duck, who was nearby at the time, but he, unlike the amphibians, was at the front of a long queue. Peter Peter Vaughan |
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martin g Member Joined: 04 Jul 2006 No. of posts: 43 View other posts by martin g |
Posted: 02 Jan 2007 Was it a legless newt?? There is a saying that they are often in that state Seriously, I am no expert, but I have spent my life around frogs and tadpoles and have never witnessed a Tad that big. I found a frog in my mop in the utility room this week, I guess the frog knew that I didnt use that mop much? |
- Oversized Tadpole |
