Tadpoles in September?!!!

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Tadpoles in September?!!!

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latetadpoles
Guest

Posted: Wed Aug 31, 05 12:51 pm Post subject: Tadpoles in September?!!!

I have had a wildlife garden for some years now and was just beginning to clear out some of the flag irises from the pond when I noticed lots of tadpoles in the state I would have expected to see them in about april; i.e. small bodies and no signs of any legs. Will these turn into froglets this year or can they overwinter as tadpoles? I have never spotted this before and consider it a tad (sorry!) weird. Anyone else ever seen this?

Lozzie

Joined: 25 May 2005
Posts: 2595

Posted: Wed Aug 31, 05 12:53 pm Post subject:
Frogs will breed at least twice a year if conditions are right for them. I emptied out some standing water yesterday and found what I thought were tadpoles but, on closer inspection, found them to be mosquito larvae - eeeek!

Guest

Posted: Wed Aug 31, 05 2:03 pm Post subject:
These are definitely tadpoles - thanks for reply. I'm a biologist and this has surprised me!

Guest

Posted: Wed Aug 31, 05 2:07 pm Post subject:
I have just consulted my Readers Digest guide to water life and found that edible frogs and marsh frogs breed late May/June and have fully formed froglets by September/October but that these are mainly found in SE England. I will contact my local wildlife trust.

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Wed Aug 31, 05 3:07 pm Post subject:
We have them in our pond like that, along with ones that have developed into small frogs. We often have some that don't develop and I have read they can overwinter. However, I have no idea if they make it through the winter as, come the spring, we get more spawn. I wonder if it is a lack of food that keeps some back?

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46404
Location: yes

Posted: Fri Sep 02, 05 7:38 pm Post subject:

as far as i know the major factor in limiting the development of frog and toad poles is the availability of iodine . few drops of medical iodine solution or a handful of seaweed in the edge mud of the pond should provide enough for the little darlings to make enough thyroxine to start the changes that make tham grow legs and exit the water and get fat enough to over winter . if they only have a limited amount they will either not develop beyond poles or will become cannibal until the survivors have enough iodine each to produce enough thyroxine to metamorphosise . i am not toadman but,,,i have raised a few , and allways give a new one a kiss when i meet it , which is more often than i would have thought as i am clearing a plot and seek trout bait most days . toads are ace ,frogs are a bit flighty but thats just my opinion . it does not matter which you have , the above still applies . they will be small but may make it even this late in the year..

Lozzie

Joined: 25 May 2005
Posts: 2595

Posted: Sat Sep 03, 05 8:35 am Post subject:
dpack thanks for the tip! We have frogs in at least three of our small ponds and we often wonder what we could do to make life any easier for them. Now we know

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46404
Location: yes

Posted: Wed Sep 21, 05 6:08 pm Post subject:
how they do then?

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