They grow so fast.

[mmfh]

It has been two weeks since I found some toad tadpoles. When I found them they looked like little flat flukes. I lost one tadpole to what appeared to be a failure to thrive since it never grew in size and seemed deformed in some way. I had one that spun around in circles but decided to give it a chance because it could "sit" correctly on its underside and eat and it has seemed to grow out of its spinning as it got larger. Now they have their back legs, although only one has legs that are not encased. I have seeded a Tupperware with giant springtails and sow bugs who have birthed very miniature babies and pinhead crickets are only two days away via the Internet. So far they have been happily feeding on flake food made from worms and pulverized algae wafers. I have to admit that the closer they get to metamorphosis the more nervous I get but I have tried to cover all my bases as far as food goes, so I will just have to wait and see. If anyone has any tricks or tips please feel free to voice them. Thank you for reading this post and letting me share my excitement and nervousness. I'd post pics but my phone takes really crappy photos.

 

[jane1187]

I have just been through the exact same process myself after receiving my first dart-frog tadpoles in April. I have kept frogs and toads before, but never bothered to raise them from tadpoles, and didn't have much breeding in my own animals.

I don't know whether it is worth moving this post (administrators) to the frogs section of the forum?

This is a summary of all of the information I was given from the wonderful dartfrog people of the British Amphibian Keepers Society (BAKS):

1. Once they grow front legs transfer the tadpoles to a small tub of water which is on a slant, so as to create a pool of water at the bottom, and a small land area at the top. Place moss or a leaf on the 'land' for emerging froglets.
2. Once they crawl out onto 'land' transfer them to your froglet tub (the seeded one!) to begin their terrestrial life. Keep a small pool of water available for them to soak if they need to.
3. They will not feed whilst they are reabsorbing their tails (they will probably emerge from the water with a little of their tail still present). At this point just let them be and keep an eye on them.
4. Once their tails are absorbed you can start to feed small foods which they are likely to take (you didnt say what species they are so I dont know what size they will be). Feed daily with these small foods, only enough that they will eat in a sitting.
5. Watch your froglets grow!