Tadpoles are the larvae of batrachians.
Tadpole is the name given to the larvae of batrachians , especially frogs . At this stage of development, the specimens do not have legs, have an extensive tail and breathe through gills , living in the aquatic environment permanently.
Tadpoles can swim easily thanks to their tail. Generally, when they are born they have external gills , which later become internal as they remain inside a sac that develops over time . Upon reaching maturity, the tadpole begins to undergo a metamorphosis that results in the absorption of its tail and the growth of its legs.
Metamorphosis of tadpoles
This metamorphosis involves a change of state: the animal stops being a larva and becomes an adult. In other words: before metamorphosis it is a tadpole and then a frog (or another type of frog).
In addition to the loss of the tail and the growth of legs, metamorphosis involves the development of various muscles , the enlargement of the lungs, the appearance of eyelids, the replacement of the cartilaginous skull by a bony skull and the shortening of the intestine, among other changes.
Although the tadpole is herbivorous , the modifications caused by metamorphosis make the frog become omnivorous and also feed on insects , worms and even other tadpoles.
The tadpole goes through a metamorphosis as it grows.
Classification according to type
It is considered that tadpoles can be divided into four groups:
- Type I , which are common in the Pipidae family and are characterized because their lips do not have denticles.
- Type II , which is part of the Microhylidae family. They have a single central spiracle and their mouths are enormously complex.
- Type III , which are characterized because they appear in the Archaeobatrachia family. Like the previous ones, they have a blowhole and in addition, beaks and denticles appear in their mouths.
- Type IV . This class of tadpoles can be found in the families Ranidae , Hylidae and Bufonidae . They include a blowhole on the left side and their mouths have both denticles and beaks.
Characteristics of frog tadpoles
Other interesting facts about frog tadpoles are the following:
- They have the ability to stay in water for up to three months.
- In the first days of life, it is possible that they do not feed on anything from the outside but rather make use of the “reserves” that they have inside.
- It is important that until their legs come out they do not get out of the water because if they do they could die.
- When you have tadpoles in aquariums and they, during their metamorphosis, become omnivores, it is recommended that you feed them with flies, earthworms, fish food, larvae, aphids or you can even choose to resort to giving them vegetables that were previously has been boiled. On the other hand, if they are tadpoles in the wild, the usual thing is that at that moment they take in phytoplankton or detritus.
Other uses of the notion
The notion of tadpole is also used to refer affectionately to a young child or, in a derogatory sense , to a person who is unpleasant or harmful.
For example: “I was just a tadpole when I saw Don Luis for the first time,” “I forbid you that tadpole to set foot in our house again.”