Metamorphosis 2

After a recent post, Metamorphosis, we decided to keep a few tadpoles in a container of water from our wetland, complete with water plants, rocks, sediment and a few water bugs, to follow their development. It is fascinating to watch the gradual emergence of firstly the hindlimbs, then the forelimbs and finally the shrinking of the tail as each tadpole transforms into a frog.
We’re still no closer to positively identifying the tadpoles, so we’ll just have to see what frogs appear before releasing them back into the wetland.
Below is a random selection of photos of the tadpoles in the latter part of the standard 46 stages of metamorphosis. There are at least two, and maybe more, species shown. Some photos are of tadpoles grazing (or browsing?) on the roots of floating aquatics – the fern Red Azolla (Azolla filiculoides) and the liverwort Ricciocarpus natans.

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