Over population of tadpoles ?

[BUMPKIN]

We drained our pond last autumn because the liner had split. We then filled it up with water watched the autumn leaves blow in there and start to break down and then waited until the spring before doing anything else.

I am more than please all my frogs seem to have returned and have even bought a few new mates as well including Neville the newt.

However as this expolsion of life continues in the pond I am a bit concerned about the number of tadpoles in there. When the tadpoles are near the surface there is approx one tadpole per square inch across the entire surface of the pond, even more at the edges.

Part of me thinks nature will sort itself out but I am concerned about what this is doing to the other wildlife that use the pond.

[nightshade]

This is a case of the Frog expecting high levels of predation
when predators are absent ,bingo too many tadpoles/frogs
competing Locally there used to be a system called Croak-Line
to put people with too much spawn in touch with those who
wanted spawn I think it was run by Bristol Uni.

[Turtletagger]

Last year my small pond was overpopulated with tadpoles and I read somewhere that they turn to cannibalism so to prevent this I supplied them with plenty of green food that I first softened by putting in the microwave. Some of the tadpoles did not turn into frogs before winter and I now have tadpoles from last year and those from this year mixed together. Once again the pond is overpopulated and I am feeding them again with semi cooked lettuce.

[Adam Cheeseman]

Another problem that can occur as a result of over-population is red-leg disease, which is fatal. I'm not sure at what stage during a frog's development this disease can kick in, but it obviously affects the adults primarily. I'm sure someone else is able to comment on the developing stages.

Cheers,

Adam

[kaz]

We have also got loads of tadpoles but last year they stayed as tadpoles and didn't seem to develop into frogs. Someone has suggested that it is due to an iodine deficiency in the water but living by the coast I thought that there would be a high iodine concentration here. Any suggestions?

[honeybee]

Very large pond near us is black around the edges with tadpoles. Maybe the frogs are expecting a high mortality rate due to the forthcoming hot weather?

[zharca]

Hi Bumkin,
Neville the newt may well help you out as they are rather fond of a plump young taddy!

We were delighted a couple of years ago when two newts - Isacc and Tiny (Tiny: he's my newt*) - showed up, but they then started scoffing tadpoles.

I suppose that's how things are meant to be, or we'd be knee deep in frogs!





*I can't believe I wrote that!

[Kayleigh]

The newts in my pond crawl up to the tadpoles and look like they are sniffing them if they are frog tadpoles they eat them if they are toad tadpoles they leave them alone obviously the toads taste horrible.

[zharca]

What a great observation!
Grown-up toads taste nasty as their defence, so perhaps it starts right from tadpoles?