Tadpoles are that stage of the life cycle of a frog when they have hatched from eggs and also have gills as well as a tail. A frog is considered an amphibian, and according to biology, all amphibians on the planet lay eggs in water. The big clutch of eggs that have been laid by a frog is known as frogspawn. It floats and also feels like jelly. The egg that has been laid develops into a tadpole larva of a frog inside the food sac.
When a tadpole larva or the frog larva hatches from the egg, it uses its tail to swim in the water. On the underside, the tadpole has a mouth that is used to scrape tiny green plants called the algae from the surfaces of rocks and plants. At this very stage, it has gills that help in breathing water and is a vegetarian.
After a few weeks, it starts developing hind legs, and then after a few days later, it gets the front legs. Then the stage comes when the tail withers which changes to the gills. The tadpole animal now becomes a tiny frog which is now a meat-eater and will feed on insects and worms. A tadpole that has become a tiny frog is smaller even than your fingernail. It is hard to see in the grass by a pond, which clearly explains why we wonder where all the tadpoles go.
Large numbers of eggs are laid because the frog does not protect its young. Therefore just by laying eggs in large numbers, and by there being swarms of tadpole animals are born. Out of thousands, just a very few among them will grow up to be breeding adults and the rest will be eaten as tadpoles are simply part of a food chain.
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The Difference Between Frog and Toad?
We can discriminate between frog and tadpole based on the following points:
Skin
If there was ever a tell-tale sign to find out which amphibian you are looking for then it is the texture of their skin. Toads look worthy and are covered in little lumps and bumps whereas the frogs are sleek and smooth. Toads always have dry skin, while the frogs look wet even when they are not in water.
Location
An amphibian is seen making its way along a pavement or ambling through some grass, then it is a toad. Toads cope with dry conditions in a better manner than frogs because their skin is more waterproof. Frogs lose moisture easily and therefore are rarely seen too far away from water. This explains the fact that why the frogs always look moist.
Legs
Looking at the legs of an amphibian it can be easily identified either it is a frog or a toad. Frogs always have long legs, that are longer than their head as well as body, which helps them for hopping. On the other hand, all toads have shorter legs and they prefer to crawl around rather than hopping like a frog.
Shape
Looking at the shape of the amphibian it is easily recognizable as the amphibian you are looking at. Frogs are lithe and athletic-looking, while on the other hand toads look squat and dumpy. Their faces look very different too; frogs have a pointed nose and a toad has a much broader nose.
Spawn
Spawn is another key indicator to recognize the species one is looking at. Frogspawn is laid in gooey clumps, and on the other hand, a toad’s spawn floats in stringy lengths.
Tadpoles: Summary
Like their adult counterparts, frog tadpoles are slimmer whereas toad tadpoles are chunky. Frog tadpoles are covered in gold flecks, whereas on the other hand, the toad tadpoles are plain black.