Tadpoles

[Arshis]

Just a random tadpole question for a friend of mine.
Shes had 2 tadpoles for like 6 months now for a while one of them started growing legs then they just kinda slowly disappeared. And now they are both still tadpoles. is it possible for tadpoles to miss their growth spurt and forever remain tadpoles?

 

[Arshis]

Just a bit more added info about the tadpoles she orignaly bought 6 early last summer 3 she kept indoors for her grandaughter while the other 3 were outdoor in a pond. The 3 outdoor turned into frogs before the end of summer. While the 2 indoors still tads. (one died reasons unkown)

The 3 indoor tadpoles lived in a 5 gallon tank with a single apple snail.

 

[rippin17]

as far as i kno a tadpole will never stay a tadpole forever.

i had a tadpole once that remained a tadpole for almost a year. i became concerned but they eventually grew their legs and became frogs. I dont kno exactly what to tell ya here. I guess just give it time...

sorry imnot much help here, my knowledge is limited on the subject but i figured id at least tell ya my past experience

good luck!

 

[Joey17]

Bullfrogs tadpoles can stay at the tadpole stage for about a year or so.

 

[Japola44]

I just googled tadpoles and from what I read this is all i can come up with. One site mentioned that they will only go through with metamorphisis when it is warmer outside...so maybe warming the tank up a little bit would help. Also make sure that there is some sort of land area in the tank. This way when they do develop there front legs they can have dry land to live on. One of the articles said that many young frogs die of exhaustion from not being able to swim onto land. HTH

 

[Toirtis]

Temperature and nutrition requirements could have caused absorption of the legs....warmer temps, lots of food (especially protein/calcium rich foods) and land area could make for proper metamorphosis in this case.

 

[Puriti]

It's called neonaty (staying as a tadpole) if Im not mistaken, we're learning that in my Lab Animal Skills class because Tiger Salamanders can stay tadpoles the rest of their lives. So, yeah, just try doing what everyone else told ya they should come around and if they don't and keep on living I wouldn't worry too much about it :? ... Good luck with your tadpoles ^^ what kinda tadpoles?

 

[Toirtis]

It's called neonaty (staying as a tadpole) if Im not mistaken,

Only somewhat ...it is "neoteny", actually.

we're learning that in my Lab Animal Skills class because Tiger Salamanders can stay tadpoles the rest of their lives.

Yes and no...some Ambystoma tigrinum ssp. can remain larval indefinitely, others cannot.

if they don't and keep on living I wouldn't worry too much about it

Likely they will, or will perish...neoteny in frogs is quite uncommon.

 

[Puriti]

It's called neonaty (staying as a tadpole) if Im not mistaken,

Only somewhat ...it is "neoteny", actually.

we're learning that in my Lab Animal Skills class because Tiger Salamanders can stay tadpoles the rest of their lives.

Yes and no...some Ambystoma tigrinum ssp. can remain larval indefinitely, others cannot.

if they don't and keep on living I wouldn't worry too much about it

Likely they will, or will perish...neoteny in frogs is quite uncommon.

Hmmm...I looked at my notes and it said neonaty unless I copied it wrong lol... It was random animals used in research and that was the one that they used to study or somethin like that (I know not all of them do that but isn't it because of environmental conditions that it usually happens? like if there isn't enough of something they'll stay like that til they get it?)but yeah I don't think you see tadpole frogs that're old very often 8O

 

[Japola44]

thats so weird, but really interesting. I want to set up a teranium(sp?) I jsut love having all these little critters around. I love to watch em. I suppose thats why my horse is the ultimate pet for me cuz i get to watch her and take care of her, and heck i can ride her lol!

good luck with the tad pole!

 

[horse_lover1991]

Well, I read somewhere that bullfrog tadpoles take two or more years to develop into frogs.

As for the legs, I don't know that the frogs can remain tadpoles for the rest of their lives. What temp is the water? How deep is it? Does the tank have anything like a lily pad in it? Now that I read the site, I may end up putting a paper plate into my tank. I've also found out that the tadpoles do learn how to eat algea discs. You may try spinach and frozen (not freeze dried) bloodworms for protein. And raising the temp may help, but I wouldn't get it too hot because it would increase the respiration of the tadpoles. And I would have a filter in the tank, if it doesn't already. The ammonia can build up very easily in any size tank and would require 100% water changes to keep the tads from coming down sick or dying.

Also the reason that I dislike freeze dried food is that it is known to give aquatic frogs and fish constipation, even to the point of death. So I steer away from it, but I find that my African Clawed Frogs love the frozen food and won't touch anything else.

I also heard of Frog and Tadpole bites, but I have fed them to my two bullfrog tads and I have never seen them eat them, but there is no reminent of them on the bottom of the tank.

I hope this helps. I'm a newbie too and I just looked up how to care for my own two tads and the fact that it takes so long for them to grow was a little of a shock to me.