Tadpole-like creature

[loobyluce]

Hello,
I moved to my house last year and it had a VERY overgrown garden. Amongst other things (garden bench,various rockeries, sleeping-beauty's garden etc), under a foot deep of ivy, I discovered a pond. It has now been uncovered and I've raked out a load of stinky old leaves and today i noticed that there are a few tadpole shaped creatures in there. They don't have tails as wide as tadpoles and seem to be sticking the end point of the tails out of the water surface, perhaps to breathe. They have an 'S' shaped swimming motion which is quite irratic. They also might have a stripe on their heads. Can anyone help me identify them please? Thanks

[Lancashire Lad]

Hi loobyluce, and welcome to WAB.

From yopur description, I think they will be Chironomid larvae, commonly known as mosquito larvae. (But don't worry - they aren't the malaria carrying mosquito's )

They are very common in stagnant water, all over Britain, and will make tasty snacks for any frogs or newts that might also be using your pond.

Regards
Mike.

[loobyluce]

Thanks very much Lanccy-lad. I suppose I am too late to find frong spawn now?

[Lancashire Lad]

Originally Posted by loobyluce

....I suppose I am too late to find frong spawn now?

Not too sure about that - I suppose it could depend on where you live, and what the temperature & weather's been like in the past few weeks.

You might get a more enlightened response if you post the question on the reptile/amphibian forum.

Regards
Mike.

[Kayleigh]

Hi loobyluce and welcome....

Not sure if you will get tadpoles now time will tell..

Love it.....Lanccy-lad .....

[Naturenutz]

I think you will have missed the frog spawn loobyluce. It can be as early as january in the south but more often february and march with sometimes april the further north you go . We had frogspawn in the garden in the last week in february in the southwest.