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A tadpole or polliwog (also spelled pollywog) is the larval stage in the biological life cycle of an amphibian. Most tadpoles are fully aquatic, though some species of amphibians have tadpoles that are terrestrial. Tadpoles have some fish-like features that may not be found in adult amphibians such as a lateral line, gills and swimming tails.
Adults hunt in spring and summer, but only at night or during light rains. Spadefoot tadpoles are dimorphic. Within a cohort, some tadpoles have large mouthparts, while others have much smaller mouthparts. As well as consuming other types of food, large-mouthed individuals are cannibalistic, swallowing other tadpoles whole. [4] [10]
Tadpoles sometimes resort to cannibalism to survive. After multiple experiments, Paul Székely, Marian Tudor, and Dan Cogalniceanu concluded that tadpole development is influenced by hydroperiod, or the period in which an area is full of water.
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The tadpoles at first look similar to those of the common frog (Rana temporaria) but they are a darker colour, being blackish above and dark grey below. They can be distinguished from the tadpoles of other species by the fact that the mouth is the same width as the space between the eyes, and this is twice as large as the distance between the ...
Researchers have found that negative effects of low temperatures and high ultraviolet-B (UVB) radiation on tadpole survival are greater when the two stressors are combined. [5] UVB radiation decreased the survival of striped marsh frog tadpoles, but there was an increasingly large mortality rate when low temperatures were involved. [ 5 ]
The tadpole of this species is considered unpalatable to many species that would commonly predate on tadpoles. They also exhibit behaviors to avoid predation. To avoid fish, the tadpoles will move to stream margins in order to make them inaccessible to the fish. The tadpoles will also reduce activity after sensing a fish's chemical cues. [21]
A magical underwater image of western toad tadpoles has won the 2024 Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition.