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Tadpoles In My Pond (1 Viewer)

Brian Bullough

DIGIDOPE
NORTHUMBERLAND
I still have about a couple of dozen Tadpoles in my garden pond at the size they usually start growing legs,as far as I can see they are all at the same stage.
I presume they will just die off when it freezes over but they seem lively enough up to now any body else got them,how long can they live ?
Brian
 
are they frog/toad tadpoles or newt tadpoles? i don't know about frog or toad tadpoles, but the newt tadpoles would definitely live till spring, it's quite common.
 
I had a pond in my garden in balmy SE London but never had tadpoles this late in the year - is this usual? I have seen several Red Admirals in recent days(including one flying in Sainsbury's!) and guess it's due to the unseasonaly mild autumn - well it was until a few days ago?
 
Brian Bullough said:
NORTHUMBERLAND
I still have about a couple of dozen Tadpoles in my garden pond at the size they usually start growing legs,as far as I can see they are all at the same stage.
I presume they will just die off when it freezes over but they seem lively enough up to now any body else got them,how long can they live ?
Brian
Hello Brian,

This is quite usual and is a strategy that has evolved as an insurance policy against disaster ie forest fire or disease in adults,this strategy is also seen in insects where a small percentage of a seasons pupae can overwinter as many as five times, whilst their siblings hatched after only one overwintering.

On a similar subject, about three weeks ago I found a frog squashed in the road and oozing with spawn,I wonder if this is due to a mild autumn,or maybe they go into hibernation already gravid, does anybody out there know if this is the case?

Colin.
 
Last edited:
mothman said:
On a similar subject, about three weeks ago I found a frog squashed in the road and oozing with spawn,I wonder if this is due to a mild autumn,or maybe they go into hibernation already gravid, does anybody out there know if this is the case?

Colin.

My understanding was that your latter suggestion was the case - they form the eggs prior to hibernation during a time when food is abundant and so fuels the formation of a mass of healthy nutrient rich eggs. Spawning of course occurs shortly after emergence from hibernation, a period in which their bodies are more or less in stasis and egg formation at this time would use valuable energy.

Cheers,

Jon
 
Some Tadpoles Will Winter Over, In The Bottom Of Your Pond. They Can Survive Quite Well In The Sediment As Long As You Have About 2ft Of Water At Least.
 
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