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23-04-2010, 08:22 PM
|  | Moderator | | Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Belvedere, Kent
Posts: 10,029
| | | Toadpoles
Last year I photographed common frog tadpoles through their metamorphosis into frogs so this year I thought I'd have a go with toad tadpoles to see what the differences are.
Here is the spawn...   
And here are some newly hatched toadpoles...   
The first difference I've noticed is that at this stage the toadpoles have got blue eyes!
Dave P.
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(a.k.a. "Horizontal Dave")
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23-04-2010, 08:41 PM
|  | Knight Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Romford, Essex
Posts: 5,356
| | | Re: Toadpoles
Been waiting for these Dave.
Great stuff. Well have to discuss technique tommorow as Ive been struggling with this tank photo stuff |
01-05-2010, 11:06 AM
| | Officer of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: North East
Posts: 718
| | | Re: Toadpoles
Quote:
Originally Posted by pressld2  Last year I photographed common frog tadpoles through their metamorphosis into frogs so this year I thought I'd have a go with toad tadpoles to see what the differences are.
Here is the spawn...
And here are some newly hatched toadpoles...
The first difference I've noticed is that at this stage the toadpoles have got blue eyes!
Dave P. | Wow! blue eyes! They don't have blue eyes when they are toads.
I think that at this stage the mouth is meant to be a different shape- if you can get a photo of one stuck to glass. One is meant to smile and the other not to smile! |
03-05-2010, 04:08 PM
|  | Member of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: May 2007 Location: nr guildford surrey
Posts: 423
| | | Re: Toadpoles
WOW amazing pics  i knew they were cute but blue eyes too!! ! i have to say getting up each day and having a look at the progress of my toadpoles is the best part of the day for me  they are very different from a frogpole (appart from being black and staying black)..very much smaller at hatching stage .... and a much shorter tail .....and when the metamorphis is complete they are half the size of a froglet !!! looking forward to more of your amazing pics in the future ....marion
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03-05-2010, 04:09 PM
| | Member of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: May 2007 Location: nr guildford surrey
Posts: 423
| | | Re: Toadpoles
forgot to say i am hoping its the toadpoles that smile ...WOW a smiling toadpole that is something i would pay to see ...Marion
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08-05-2010, 07:59 PM
| | Moderator | | Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Belvedere, Kent
Posts: 10,029
| | | Re: Toadpoles
Is this a smile...? 
Looks like he might be laughing! 
They're bigger, the eyes are more developed (but still with a hint of blue) and they're swimming about much more than they were. Last time they were just hanging from the plants and not moving.   
Other differences from the frog tadpoles are that they are a more uniform dark brown without all the gold flecks, they seem to be flatter and the eyes are more towards the top of the head than at the side. The last photo shows this quite well.
While photographing these guys today a small movement caught my eye in the gravel at the bottom of the tank. It was this chap...  
I suspect it's a newt tadpole but no idea of species. There must have been an egg on the water plants I put in the tank. It's only half the size of the toadpoles and quite well camouflaged unless it moves.
Dave P.
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08-05-2010, 08:40 PM
| | Officer of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: North East
Posts: 718
| | | Re: Toadpoles
Wow! Your photos are amazingly sharp.
Definitely a newt pole (or eft). Not knowing the size it's difficult to say which. What sort of newts do you have in the pond? |
08-05-2010, 08:50 PM
| | Moderator | | Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Belvedere, Kent
Posts: 10,029
| | | Re: Toadpoles
Eft! That's the word! Couldn't think of it earlier. 
The toadpoles are averaging around 20mm so I'd say this fella was no more than 10mm. There are definitely palmate newts in the pond because I found one in a crisp packet when I did a bit of litter clearing there. You kindly helped me identify it in this thread: Lucky Newt. There could well be smooth newts there too. If it turns out to be a great crested I'm in trouble!
Dave P.
P.s. Is it safe in the same tank with the toadpoles or should I try and seperate them?
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(a.k.a. "Horizontal Dave")
"A good man is hard to find, especially if he's hiding. In a field. With combat fatigues and a false beard." - Wilson Dixon
Last edited by pressld2; 08-05-2010 at 08:52 PM.
Reason: Added p.s.
|
20-05-2010, 10:06 PM
| | Moderator | | Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Belvedere, Kent
Posts: 10,029
| | | Re: Toadpoles
A few more pics of the toadpoles...   
Two more differences I've noticed between these and the common frog tadpoles: - They're much more active. The frog poles would spend most of their time on the bottom of the tank or in the corners with just the occasional mad dash across. But these toad poles are all over the place all the time.
- Possibly related, they don't drag their poo around for ages! The frog poles would normally be dragging around a length of excreta almost as long as their tails, whereas these toad poles rarely have anything clinging on. This might just be because the frenetic activity shakes it off quicker.
The eft is still about but very difficult to find. He's now about the same length as the smaller toadpoles but much much skinnier than they are... 
I'm hoping he or she will grow big enough for me to identify the species with certainty.
Dave P.
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"A good man is hard to find, especially if he's hiding. In a field. With combat fatigues and a false beard." - Wilson Dixon |
20-05-2010, 10:30 PM
|  | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Gloucestershire
Posts: 2,763
| | | Re: Toadpoles
This is fascinating! Superb pictures too. I have frogs but not seen a toad for a couple of years. I had a large one around the garden for years I called "Mum" but I think magpies killed her as I found her with her head pecked out.
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