How to Feed Tadpoles & Frogs
Tadpoles, also referred to as polliwogs, are the larvae of frogs, toads, newts or salamanders. When tadpoles hatch from eggs, they resemble small fish with their fin-like tail and lack of legs. A close look reveals gills on the sides of the head. Most eat algae and other plant life in ponds and streams where they are hatched. As they mature, tadpoles develop lungs and grow legs. They also cease eating vegetation and begin to consume insects and small bugs. Be ready to change the food supply when the tadpoles begin to form legs.
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Instructions
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Gather plants from the pond or stream where you find the tadpoles, which will not only provide food but a source of oxygen to the water for newly hatched tadpoles.
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Make your own tadpole food by boiling lettuce leaves in water for 10 to 15 minutes. All About Frogs recommends chopping the boiled lettuce and freezing it in individual ice cube trays. You can also store cooked lettuce for several days in a food storage bag in the refrigerator.
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Place a frozen ice cube of lettuce leaves in the aquarium every other day to provide fresh food for tadpoles. Add just a pinch of chopped lettuce leaves every day for smaller tanks. Tadpoles should eat all of the lettuce within a few minutes of feeding, and any leftover food will cloud the water. Reduce feeding if the water becomes cloudy.
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Feed frogs and tadpoles that have developed legs live insects. Begin with crickets, as they are the most widely accepted by frogs, according to All About Frogs. Add three crickets for each frog and observe whether the frog eats them all. Adapt the amount according to the frog's appetite. Some frogs prefer moderate daily food while others eat heartily and ignore new food for a day or two.
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Look for insects near the frog's natural habitat. Aphids, small grasshoppers or other crawling insects are often devoured quickly.
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Purchase meal worms during the winter if you do not have access to outside insects or crickets.
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Tips & Warnings
Frogs will eat other frogs if not enough food is provided.
References
- Photo Credit happy frog image by buckwheat from Fotolia.com
