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| Tadpoles, Frogs, and Toads! Oh My! |
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Have you heard the annual frog chorus? Although you may not see them, Ohio’s woodlands are hopping with frogs and toads. It sounds like a jungle out there when the peepers are peeping, and the tree frogs are chirping!
 Meta-what?
Toads and frogs are amphibians (am-fib-ê-uns). An amphibian lives part of its life in the water, and part of its life on land. Both toads and frogs start their life cycles as eggs laid in shallow water. The eggs are like blobs of jelly, without a hard shell. Being in the water helps keep the eggs from drying out.
Whether it is a toad egg or a frog egg, something amazing happens after 3 to 12 days. A small, slippery tadpole begins to wiggle out of the jelly-like egg. The tadpole’s first task in life is to eat what is left of its former home, which is full of nutrients like the eggs we eat.
The tadpole is a strange looking creature that is perfectly adapted to its watery life. It has a large head followed by a long tail. Bulging eyes on the sides of the tadpole’s head help it see if predators are about. It breathes through gills and swims just like a fish! It feeds on algae and hides among the weeds in the water to stay safe.
After about four weeks, the tadpole begins to transform in shape. This is called metamorphosis (met-u-môr-fu-sus). Back legs begin to grow near the tail, and front legs sprout near the gills. The shape of the tadpole’s head begins to change, with its mouth becoming larger and its eyes shifting to the top of its head. The tadpole’s digestive system begins to change, too, so it can start to eat bugs instead of plants like algae.
The tadpole’s gills, which started out on the outside of its body, are covered over by skin. Then, the gills become lungs and the tadpole can breathe air. By twelve weeks, the tail is absorbed into the tadpole’s body, and the transformation from tadpole to frog or toad is complete. Ta da!
Now the frog or toad can live on land, as long as there is water nearby. When it comes time to start a new family, the frog or toad will hop on over to the local watering hole to lay eggs and start the process all over again.
No fibbin’
The words “amphibian” and “amphibious” come from the Greek words amphi and bios meaning double life, since they can live in the water and function on land.
Metamorphosis is an amazing fact of life. No wonder fairy tales and legends include imaginary stories about frogs turning into princes, and people turning into frogs!
From the time the eggs are laid, many young toads and frogs are on their own. Only a few species of frogs and toads care for their eggs or tadpoles. Some frog and toad parents might even eat their own tadpoles!
When a frog swallows a meal, its eyeballs will close and go down into its head to apply pressure and push the meal down its throat! Gulp!
When a frog is threatened by a predator, it will inflate its lungs to swell up to twice its normal size to make it difficult for the predator to swallow. But if that does not work then it will release water from its bladder onto the predator. Ew!
Healthy tadpoles and frogs mean healthy water. Frogs can absorb pollutants in the water through their skin.
Tadpoles can help keep waterways clean by eating algae. Adult frogs and toads eat lots of pesky insects including mosquitos that may carry diseases.
Frogs can be found on every continent except Antarctica - even in deserts and on mountaintops.
Discover for yourself the wonder of frogs and toads by going out on a nature walk at your Ohio state park. Visit our events page to find an activity close to you.
Please do not catch or keep frogs or toads, though. They have an important job to do in their natural environment! |
| Photos from left to right: a bullfrog hiding under lily pads; bullfrog tadpole; gray treefrog by Ellie Nighman; and a American toad by Bill Heban. |
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