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A tadpole or polliwog (also spelled pollywog) is the larval stage in the biological life cycle of an amphibian. Most tadpoles are fully aquatic, though some species of amphibians have tadpoles that are terrestrial. Tadpoles have some fish-like features that may not be found in adult amphibians such as a lateral line, gills and swimming tails.
Triops cancriformis, European tadpole shrimp or tadpole shrimp is a species of tadpole shrimp found in Europe to the Middle East and India. [2]Due to habitat destruction, many populations have recently been lost across its European range, so, the species is considered endangered in the United Kingdom and in several European countries. [2]
Adults hunt in spring and summer, but only at night or during light rains. Spadefoot tadpoles are dimorphic. Within a cohort, some tadpoles have large mouthparts, while others have much smaller mouthparts. As well as consuming other types of food, large-mouthed individuals are cannibalistic, swallowing other tadpoles whole. [4] [10]
The eggs are laid in temporary ponds that may quickly evaporate, so the tadpole stage is unusually brief, with rapid development to the adult form in as little as two weeks. To further speed their growth, some of the tadpoles are cannibalistic, eating their brood-mates to increase their supply of protein. [2]
This is interpreted as an adaptation that allows the tadpoles to cling to the rocks until the tail is almost fully resorbed. [8] In Limnonectes limborgi, the tadpoles are free-living but non-feeding ("nidicolous") and retain their yolk sac until stage 37, at least. [9] Direct-developing frogs hatch directly as froglets, without free-living ...
The toad uses the end of its long, sticky tongue to pick up prey, including beetles, crickets, flies, caterpillars, centipedes, ants, and millipedes. Tadpoles feed on vegetable matter. They chew with tiny, horny teeth. Young toads eat smaller sizes of the same prey on which adults feed.
Eggs can hatch in under 30 hours and tadpoles can fully develop in one month. [13] They have wide caudal fins and two rows of labial teeth on the top of their mouths and four rows on the bottom. [14] Tadpoles survive on algae and will occasionally eat other tadpoles, [13] and on rare occasions, recently metamorphosed juveniles. [15]
Time from hatching to tadpole metamorphosis is 4–6 weeks, and this is highly dependent upon environmental factors (elevation, weather, food, competition) and possibly genetic background. [7] [8] Tadpoles are apparently unable to overwinter. Subadult and adult habitat use patterns are poorly understood.