Froglets!

[mouseams]

Went out on one of my nightly stealth visits to the pond with my flashlight and I spotted two of the tiniest frogs I have ever seen. I know I had several taddies, but just a few days ago they only had rear legs and still had their tails. These froglets had all four legs and no tail to be seen. Maybe these are a different batch. Does anyone know the time period of frog development?

 

[fishin4cars]

Varies greatly with different frog species, Some can develope in only a few days, Most are about a month or two in the US but a bull frog takes two years so as you see, lots of variable just between species, Then you have to consider the cooler the water the longer it takes,

 

[mouseams]

Wow, thanks fishin'. I fished taddies out late last fall and dumped into the main pond which the critters winter in. I have several different kinds of frogs here, so I am unsure whose babies they were. I have gray tree frogs, most likely not them. Bull, Green and Pickerel frogs.Also have toads, although I haven't spotted any since all the frogs moved in. Guess I'll know soon...

 

[fishin4cars]

I've seen others post that with the other frogs they didn't have toads show up. Toads are the first to show up here and last to hibernate in the fall here. And as you have seen by all my pics, I have tons of different kinds of frogs. I have a little grey tree frog that appears from time to time but I have yet to get a decent pic of it yet. Just starting to see a few baby green tree frogs showing up in the back pond. No doubting them, they look just like the adults only tiny.

 

[addy1]

Just found another batch of eggs, that are changing into tads. The frogs have been very busy this summer. We have polite frogs, they quit croaking during the night, just sing at dusk and at dawn.

 

[blessedfamily]

So exciting!

 

[mouseams]

Went out again just before bed and saw the big fat tadpoles, so I know now I wasn't going crazy. My guess is the tads are bullfrogs. Not sure on the little frogs yet, possibly green or pickerel. Time will tell. I will try and get pics over the weekend. The froglets are not much bigger than the leaves of creeping jenny.

 

[JoaniePA]

Well, I had big fat tadpoles, heads big as a nickle, for a whole year. I assumed they were bullfrogs but the next spring they were nice fat green frogs. They hung around until those disgusting toads (remember the pic?) made whoopie in my pond, then the frogs left. I was left with a trillion toadpoles. They had just started to sprout legs when the frogs reappeared, and lo and behold.. 2/3 of the toadpoles are gone. . They were not mature enough to hop, still eating algae and swimming about, so I assume the frogs have been feasting! Also, when the frogs left a water skimmer population exploded. They too have been seriously reduced. At any rate, I love the cycle of life in my pond, the checks and balances. And I'm very happy to have my frogs back!

 

[addy1]

Agree joanie, had a gazillion tads in 4 different ponds. Just found another group hatching. But the population is decreasing naturally, do see some with fat little bodies and legs now!