Tadpoles not growing into frogs

Hi all, I'm new to this group.

I recently moved and started a wildlife pond. I "borrowed" some
frogspawn, the tadpoles hatched but it looks like none of them are
growing legs. My previous wildlife pond just down the road in the same
locality (Southampton UK) had plenty of tadpoles turning into frogs and
newts breeding successfully.

This pond is new. I dug it in October last year, about 3ft deep and 6
feet across (100 gallons or so). I filled it with about half rainwater
from a butt and half tapwater with conditioner which had a few months to
condition before adding the spawn in Feb.

My wife thinks they may be just turning into frogs and sneaking off
before I see them, but I find this unlikely as I check the pond nearly
every day and in the past I've always seen the little fellows getting
legs gradually - it takes a few weeks so I'd see them.

I heard somewhere that there is something (or maybe lack of something)
that can cause tadpoles to not mature, can anyone help?

--
Pete Thomas - www.petethomas.co.uk
***********
On-line saxophone exercises, composition and jazz theory courses,
Saxophone Instruction DVD.
Discussion forum, free stuff and discounts - www.breakfastroom.co.uk
***********
Contact via the Breakfast Room

In article , invalid@reply-via-
site.com says...
Hi all, I'm new to this group.

I recently moved and started a wildlife pond. I "borrowed" some
frogspawn, the tadpoles hatched but it looks like none of them are
growing legs. My previous wildlife pond just down the road in the same
locality (Southampton UK) had plenty of tadpoles turning into frogs and
newts breeding successfully.

This pond is new. I dug it in October last year, about 3ft deep and 6
feet across (100 gallons or so). I filled it with about half rainwater
from a butt and half tapwater with conditioner which had a few months to
condition before adding the spawn in Feb.

My wife thinks they may be just turning into frogs and sneaking off
before I see them, but I find this unlikely as I check the pond nearly
every day and in the past I've always seen the little fellows getting
legs gradually - it takes a few weeks so I'd see them.

I heard somewhere that there is something (or maybe lack of something)
that can cause tadpoles to not mature, can anyone help?



In your older pond did you notice frogs the first year it was in or
could the frogs you saw be actually from tadpoles from the previous
year. In mine I have been watching the development of tadpoles into
toads and have been seeing numerous ones with back legs but no front
legs, then one evening looked down and saw a dozen or so tiny toads. So
maybe some are developing and sneaking away. Hmm timely, my daughter
placed a tadpole in a goldfish bowl a few weeks ago and came in here
excitedly she has a tiny toad now.
--
Lar

Lar wrote:
In article , invalid@reply-via-
site.com says...
Hi all, I'm new to this group.

I recently moved and started a wildlife pond. I "borrowed" some
frogspawn, the tadpoles hatched but it looks like none of them are
growing legs. My previous wildlife pond just down the road in the same
locality (Southampton UK) had plenty of tadpoles turning into frogs and
newts breeding successfully.

This pond is new. I dug it in October last year, about 3ft deep and 6
feet across (100 gallons or so). I filled it with about half rainwater
from a butt and half tapwater with conditioner which had a few months to
condition before adding the spawn in Feb.

My wife thinks they may be just turning into frogs and sneaking off
before I see them, but I find this unlikely as I check the pond nearly
every day and in the past I've always seen the little fellows getting
legs gradually - it takes a few weeks so I'd see them.

I heard somewhere that there is something (or maybe lack of something)
that can cause tadpoles to not mature, can anyone help?



In your older pond did you notice frogs the first year it was in or
could the frogs you saw be actually from tadpoles from the previous
year. In mine I have been watching the development of tadpoles into
toads and have been seeing numerous ones with back legs but no front
legs, then one evening looked down and saw a dozen or so tiny toads. So
maybe some are developing and sneaking away. Hmm timely, my daughter
placed a tadpole in a goldfish bowl a few weeks ago and came in here
excitedly she has a tiny toad now.

Today I found a teeny frog under a stone, so they've been sneaking out
really quickly.

Time for newts now.

--
Pete Thomas - www.petethomas.co.uk
***********
On-line saxophone exercises, composition and jazz theory courses,
Saxophone Instruction DVD.
Discussion forum, free stuff and discounts - www.breakfastroom.co.uk
***********
Contact via the Breakfast Room

"Pete Thomas" wrote in message
...
Hi all, I'm new to this group.

I recently moved and started a wildlife pond. I "borrowed" some frogspawn,
the tadpoles hatched but it looks like none of them are growing legs. My
previous wildlife pond just down the road in the same locality
(Southampton UK) had plenty of tadpoles turning into frogs and newts
breeding successfully.

This pond is new. I dug it in October last year, about 3ft deep and 6 feet
across (100 gallons or so). I filled it with about half rainwater from a
butt and half tapwater with conditioner which had a few months to
condition before adding the spawn in Feb.

My wife thinks they may be just turning into frogs and sneaking off before
I see them, but I find this unlikely as I check the pond nearly every day
and in the past I've always seen the little fellows getting legs
gradually - it takes a few weeks so I'd see them.

I heard somewhere that there is something (or maybe lack of something)
that can cause tadpoles to not mature, can anyone help?
--
Pete Thomas - www.petethomas.co.uk
***********

Hello Pete,
Myself and three other pond owners in Buckinghamshire (UK) have the same
thing you describe. We have plenty of tadpoles and yet only a minority have
grown very small front legs (or are they gills?). They are a healthy size
but they all seem to have stopped growing and have stayed at the same
size/developmental stage for eight weeks or more.
My extent of my knowledge of tadpoles is from thirty plus years ago in the
classroom tank, but I'm sure they grew quicker than that! Maybe with age
comes impatience....

Dribbler

I added a string of eggs, which hatched to tadpoles, which grew legs, the
frogs hopped out and sat on the bank, and every one was soon picked off by
jays... Watch out for jays....

"Dribbler" wrote in message
...
"Pete Thomas" wrote in message
...
Hi all, I'm new to this group.

I recently moved and started a wildlife pond. I "borrowed" some
frogspawn,
the tadpoles hatched but it looks like none of them are growing legs. My
previous wildlife pond just down the road in the same locality
(Southampton UK) had plenty of tadpoles turning into frogs and newts
breeding successfully.

This pond is new. I dug it in October last year, about 3ft deep and 6
feet
across (100 gallons or so). I filled it with about half rainwater from a
butt and half tapwater with conditioner which had a few months to
condition before adding the spawn in Feb.

My wife thinks they may be just turning into frogs and sneaking off
before
I see them, but I find this unlikely as I check the pond nearly every
day
and in the past I've always seen the little fellows getting legs
gradually - it takes a few weeks so I'd see them.

I heard somewhere that there is something (or maybe lack of something)
that can cause tadpoles to not mature, can anyone help?
--
Pete Thomas - www.petethomas.co.uk
***********

Hello Pete,
Myself and three other pond owners in Buckinghamshire (UK) have the same
thing you describe. We have plenty of tadpoles and yet only a minority
have
grown very small front legs (or are they gills?). They are a healthy size
but they all seem to have stopped growing and have stayed at the same
size/developmental stage for eight weeks or more.
My extent of my knowledge of tadpoles is from thirty plus years ago in the
classroom tank, but I'm sure they grew quicker than that! Maybe with age
comes impatience....

Dribbler

"Jeanne" wrote in message
...

I added a string of eggs, which hatched to tadpoles, which grew legs, the
frogs hopped out and sat on the bank, and every one was soon picked off by
jays... Watch out for jays....

That is horrible for you Jeanne. How awful to watch them get to that stage
only to be picked off.
In the UK we don't have Blue Jays but during my time spent living in the
USA, along with humming birds they were my favourite to watch with all their
antics.
I don't think we have any birds here who would threaten the frogs, unless
anyone knows different?

Dribbler

Dribbler wrote:
"Jeanne" wrote in message
...
I added a string of eggs, which hatched to tadpoles, which grew legs, the
frogs hopped out and sat on the bank, and every one was soon picked off by
jays... Watch out for jays....

That is horrible for you Jeanne. How awful to watch them get to that stage
only to be picked off.
In the UK we don't have Blue Jays but during my time spent living in the
USA, along with humming birds they were my favourite to watch with all their
antics.
I don't think we have any birds here who would threaten the frogs, unless
anyone knows different?

Crows would possible get small frogs.

Owls?



--
Pete Thomas - www.petethomas.co.uk
***********
On-line saxophone exercises, composition and jazz theory courses,
Saxophone Instruction DVD.
Discussion forum, free stuff and discounts - www.breakfastroom.co.uk
***********
Contact via the Breakfast Room

I would have thought little frogs would have made a nice snack for many
predators in including magpies, robins, herons, gulls, blackbirds, crows,
rooks, foxes, badgers, stoats.... its a wonder any survive.


"Pete Thomas" wrote in message
...
Dribbler wrote:
"Jeanne" wrote in message
...
I added a string of eggs, which hatched to tadpoles, which grew legs,
the
frogs hopped out and sat on the bank, and every one was soon picked off
by
jays... Watch out for jays....

That is horrible for you Jeanne. How awful to watch them get to that
stage
only to be picked off.
In the UK we don't have Blue Jays but during my time spent living in the
USA, along with humming birds they were my favourite to watch with all
their
antics.
I don't think we have any birds here who would threaten the frogs,
unless
anyone knows different?

Crows would possible get small frogs.

Owls?



--
Pete Thomas - www.petethomas.co.uk
***********
On-line saxophone exercises, composition and jazz theory courses,
Saxophone Instruction DVD.
Discussion forum, free stuff and discounts - www.breakfastroom.co.uk
***********
Contact via the Breakfast Room

On Fri, 9 Jun 2006 10:13:26 +0100, "Dribbler"
wrote:


"Jeanne" wrote in message
...

I added a string of eggs, which hatched to tadpoles, which grew legs, the
frogs hopped out and sat on the bank, and every one was soon picked off by
jays... Watch out for jays....

That is horrible for you Jeanne. How awful to watch them get to that stage
only to be picked off.
In the UK we don't have Blue Jays but during my time spent living in the
USA, along with humming birds they were my favourite to watch with all their
antics.
I don't think we have any birds here who would threaten the frogs, unless
anyone knows different?

Dribbler

We get Jays here in the south of England, but our pond is surrounded
by plenty of cover and they don't seem make much impact.

What a life for a small frog! You finally lose your tail, crawl out of
your pond, full of hope with a whole world to explore...

Then Splat!

This pond is new. I dug it in October endure year, about 3ft abysmal and 6 feet beyond (100 gallons or so). I abounding it with about bisected rainwater from a base and bisected tapwater with conditioner which had a few months to condition afore abacus the spawn in Feb.