Frog question

[bunnymom3]

I have a question. I went today to get some stuff for our outside pond. I looked into the pond with fish and there was a tadpole in there. I asked the guy if it was a bull frog on and he said I don't know it's a yellow belly. Have any clue if it's a bullfrog or not?

Thanks, Nykki
Who really wants to hear frogs in her back yard this year

 

[Bobbleton]

Was it in a store pond or yours? If it was in a store, its likely a leopard frog tadpole. Otherwise . . .

Pretty hard to tell w/o a picture, but an easy way to tell is the size of the tadpole. If its a bullfrog tadpole, it'll either be huge (and i mean terrorize tokyo kind of huge) or it won't morph this year. Bullfrog tadpoles often take two warm seasons to mature past the tadpole stage. If its not the size of a small car and does morph, you know its probably a green, leopard, or pickerel frog.
Also, this link might help.

http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/tadpole/division_3.htm

Its got examples of ranid tadpoles, rana catesbeiana should be in there.

-Bob

 

[bunnymom3]

Thanks. I knew you would have some answer. It was in the store but they are for outside ponds, and it was big. Thats why I thought it was a bullfrog tadpole. When I asked him if it was a type of bullfrog he said I don't know it was listed as a yellow belly.

Love when stores sell stuff they know nothing about. Makes the care of them so hard. I've gone into stores and told the people how wrong they were on the care of different animals.

Nykki

 

[bach2yoga]

Ditto...tadpoles are really hard to tell apart, unlike the eggs or the frogs themselves. But bullfrog tads are HUGE and slow to change. Bullfrogs are kind of considered a nuisance because they are almost invasive and they eat all of the smaller frogs.
The wood frog egg masses have hatched now, so they are swimming around as well. We have wood frog taddies swimming around in the vernal pond next year. They tend to stay in the area that the eggs were found in. They would also be found strictly in a vernal pond, as they are obligate species. If there are fish in the pond, then the tadpoles are probably not from an obligate species. Sound right, Bob??
Renee

 

[Bobbleton]

If there are fish in the pond, then the tadpoles are probably not from an obligate species. Sound right, Bob??

Definatly. While a wood frog might go in fish inhabited water, it won't even think about breeding in there. The store may have forcibly placed it in there, but its unlikely. . . .they may seem common but they're not easy to find or catch.
The only frogs i really know of that are farmed or caught to be sold are leopard and bullfrog, so that's where i have my money.

Nykki--you should totally go buy the "yellowbelly" . . . then when you find out what it is, go back and school the ignorant store employees.

-Bob

 

[bach2yoga]

Kristen had a couple of leopard tadpoles that she had bought.
We were at Unexpected Wildlife this morning and saw 2 dif't snakes, a racer and some type of ribbon snake, and also heard the fowlers mating--very loud! Also heard a leopard frog, a green frog and a carpenter frog. First green frog and carpenter frog I've heard this year.
Renee

 

[bunnymom3]

Build it and they will come!!!
We were out by our pond tonight showing Mitchs friend the pond and who show walk out onto a rock???

http://makeashorterlink.com/?E37B26B58

Nykki

 

[stizkidz]

My father recently built a pond in his backyard. He used to be a landscaper and it shows in this incredible pond he constructed from scratch. Anyway, I guess some frogs thought it was something special as well because 2 of them took up residence in both the upper and lower sections. I will post pictures when I get around to taking some.

 

[bach2yoga]

That's cool! I'll bet the kids loved that!
Renee

 

[bunnymom3]

Not as much as me and Mitch. When we built our pond all of a sudden everyone we knew had to have one....lol. Jimmy was the same and had to have his bigger then ours. Well his caved in and the filter died and everyone garbage started landing in it. So he gave up. He couldn't believe how nice our new one came out and how much we had learned from the last one. Anyway here he is feeling all sorry for himself when mister frog walks out and sits on the rock like all of us aren't standing there. It was to funny to see the look on his face.

I'm in shock that they made it around back to this new pond. I guess me taking such good care of the little sick one paid off. Maybe I can start a frog rescue now :crazy:

Nykki

 

[bach2yoga]

From bunnie to frogs, that's our Nykki!


Renee