Kids Saving Nature - Raising Tadpoles

Find out more...
Identifying Frogs

Contact KSN.org

Our Wood Frog tadpoles, found in a vernal pond on Bradley Blvd in Bethesda, MD

Home

Kids Saving Nature interviews Cori and Anni on how to raise tadpoles!

KSN: So, where do I find tadpoles?
Annika: Vernal pools.
KSN: Huh? What's a vernal pool?.
Cori: A pond that's only there for a litte while. Like a month or something.
Annika: It's formed by rainwater.
KSN: What about a stream?
Cori: No, the frogs won't lay their eggs in a stream.
Annika: The water will wash them away.
Cori: Quicker than you can say "Ribbit"!
KSN: When I find a tadpole, how do I tell what kind of frog it will be?
Annika: You have to wait.
Cori: The little black ones that bunch together will be toads; the bigger green and brown ones will be frogs.
KSN: What do I keep them in?
Annika: A tank.
Cori: Let the algae grow.
KSN: Do I need to put anything in the tank besides regular tap water?
Cori: It's best to put pond water in the tank, but put some rocks and sticks in too.
KSN: Why rocks and sticks?
Cori: When they turn into frogs, they'll need land. Also, they lay partway in the water when they're changing.
KSN: What about the pond water? Doesn't it stink?
Cori: It does. Keep the tank outside on a porch or deck.
KSN: What do I feed them?
Annika: Fish food and algae.
KSN: Do I have to clean their tank?
Cori: You have to take some pond water out and put new pond water in every day. Don't put a filter in!
KSN: Why not?
Cori: It could suck up the little black tadpoles, and might take out the algae, which is part of their diet.
KSN: How long does it take them to turn into frogs or toads?
Annika: It's hard to tell how much time it will take.
Cori: When we caught them, we didn't know how long ago they hatched from eggs.
KSN: Do I need to do anything different once they turn into frogs and toads?
Cori: Yes. Feed them bugs and give them some land.

Parent's Notes
We have caught tadpoles and watched them develop into frogs and toads for the past 2 years. Here are some hints if you want to try it yourselves...

You can find tadpoles in almost any body of fresh water, but vernal pools are common and often located in woodsy (i.e., sheltered) areas. Amphibians also like vernal pools because there are no fish to eat their eggs or babies. So they're a good place to start hunting for tadpoles in the spring.

Don't put chlorinated (tap) water in the tank! The best thing to do is use pond water, like Cori says, but if you can't, de-chlorinate the water first. Either let it sit out for a few hours so the chlorine dissipates, or use some dechlorinator that you can get at a pet store.

The tadpoles seem to be able to live in just about anything: an aquarium, a bucket, a jar. Ours have done best when put in the pond water in which we found them.

Very important! The little guys will lose their gills and develop lungs and will need to have some land to crawl up on. Our frogs were more particular about it than the toads; a rock sticking out of the water wasn't good enough for them. We actually had some die, but when we put together a suitable spot of land for them to hang out on, everything was fine. Put out some wet wood chips, moss, or some other detritus that they can hide under; they'll love it.

All the tadpoles loved that flake fish food sold in pet stores. It's a very easy way to feed them. We're not really sure if they ate the algae or not. I have read that they feed on dead organic matter, and we have also fed them lettuce that has been frozen and then thawed, so it's all mushy. They don't seem very particular. At some point, they stop eating, as they start to morph from water-breathing vegetarians into air-breathing carnivores.

Especially with toads, it's tough to find bugs that are small enough for them to eat. The small crickets you can get in a pet store ("pin crickets") are usually too big. Save yourself some trouble, and let the little hoppers go once they mature.

Cori illustrates the lifecycle of a frog

1. The frog eggs

2. The tadpoles start to develop

3. Little black toad tadpoles and big green frog tadpoles hatch and start to swim around

4. The frog tadpoles grow back legs (and mosquito larvae gather at the surface)

5. The frog tadpoles grow front legs, while back legs appear on the toad tadpoles

6. As they start to develop lungs, the froglets like to be partway out of the water

7. The fully-developed frogs now spend most of their time on land and eat bugs!