Cool! Tadpoles!!

[Mairte]

Yeah. I am like a little kid. I was taking garbage out when I looked into the pool (which is partially filled with rainwater and I was thinking about taking it down cause we havent been using it) and saw TADPOLES! And a FROG!
Of course I had to go get my daughter and we stood there watching for about 20 minutes...
Cheap entertainment, I tell ya.
But you have to enjoy the small moments too.

[Lady Christina de Pond]

i love tadpoles a fun experiment is to watch them grow into adulthood

[DonaCatalina]

cool, I haven't seen tadpoles in years. 

[Merlin the Elder]

Next time we see you, I'll turn the Don into one for you...how's that? 

[Yrose]

Yeah, when we had a pool we had them too. Just about the same time, hadn't used it or cleaned and was about to take it down. We had some HUGE ones. Merlin, you didn't get rid of a few people in my pool did you? lol

[Lady Christina de Pond]

they may have crossed him and he zapped em

[Mairte]

LOL, well I wonder which wizard zapped the hundreds of them that are in our pool??
Got back this morning and we had to go out and look again.
Not going to take it down until they are capable of jumping.....soft hearted, I know.
I guess it takes me back to my childhood, wading around in the pond, catching tadpoles.
My son arrived for mowing and we got him over there too,lol.
He is calling it our "frog pond".

[dbaldock]

LOL, well I wonder which wizard zapped the hundreds of them that are in our pool??
Got back this morning and we had to go out and look again.
Not going to take it down until they are capable of jumping.....soft hearted, I know.
I guess it takes me back to my childhood, wading around in the pond, catching tadpoles.
My son arrived for mowing and we got him over there too,lol.
He is calling it our "frog pond".

What Fun!

I really enjoy listening to the chirping and croaking of frogs ... so much nicer than Cicadas.

There are a couple of frogs that live in the shrubs outside the back door of my apartment.  They chirp away during the night, and act as my natural pest-eaters.


Take Care,
David Baldock

[Mairte]

Well, I dont know how many of them will make it but I am going to try to give them the very best of chances.
I like the the sound of frogs too....I am not real sure what kind these are? The adult has a smooth brownish body with some green on the face. Medium sized frog.
I am also trying to figure out HOW it got in the pool in the first place! It's a four foot high pool, but maybe that's nothing to a frog?
Do treefrogs go into the water too?
Apparently I have lots of googling to do. 

[Mairte]

Wow. I googled Minnesota frogs and found that the one in the pool is called a Green Frog (they can be either green or brown with very few markings if any.)
What boggled my mind was it said they lay from 3,000 to 4,000 eggs at a time! I know there are many tadpoles but I dont think in the thousands!

[Mairte]

LOL, I even showed my parents the frog and tadpoles today. My Dad acted just like me about them. So I know where I get the enthusiasm about things like that! 

[Merlin the Elder]

I was excited about the frogs in my pond too. Apparently so were the fish. You don't have your Koi yet, do you?

Anyway, the hoards of frogs you have now reminded me...have you ever read (or seen) The Mist, by Stephen King.  It just reminded me ... don't worry, you're safe...

[Mairte]

LOL, I HAVE read "The Mist" by Stephen King actually.
No, no Koi yet, I had to re-revise my koi pond plans, the digging is under way but it wont feasibly be able to be used until spring.
In this case, the frog got into an above ground swimming pool that was partially filled with rainwater and laid her eggs, so no fish to scarf them up!
I just hope no other predators discover the buffet.

[Lady Christina de Pond]

frogs can jump pretty high when they want to

the predators your gonna have to worry about for your tadpoles would be birds

[Mairte]

Like storks probably,though I think they would go after the adults more?...I have also heard the dragonflies eat tadpoles? Is that true? At least the little ones have a place to hide.

[Betty Munro]

You will probably need to help them get out once they grow legs.  Even if they can climb trees, the side of the pool might be too slippery to get out on their own.  Does water cover the entire bottom of the pool?  I discovered that tadpoles will drown if they don't have an easy way to get out of the water once they get their hind legs.  A stick or 2x4 angled out of the water is a lifesaver. 
If you need to catch and release and don't already have a fishing net, you can fashion one out of pantyhose and a wire hanger. 
Also, they might need a food source.  Tadpoles can sustain on lettuce (anything but iceberg).  If you freeze it first it makes it easier for them to eat.  (I don't know why, but I read that on a how to care for tadpoles thread and raised about 50 tadpoles to released frogs.) 

Enjoy!  This is a great experience, not just for the kids, but for you too!!!

[Mairte]

Yep, we had planned to help them out because I cant see them getting out themselves.
The pool is somewhat lopsided because of the ground so we have one end with no water and it gradually gets deeper as you get to the other end.
It wasnt filled up, the water in there is rain water mostly, though I have a bucket sitting if more water needs to be added when its dry.
So far it looks like they are living on algae and parts of dead bugs, but I will try a little lettuce too, thanks! 
Myself and daughter are loving the experience! 

[Rowan MacD]

  Tadpoles also eat mosquito larvae and dragonfly nymphs,  so as long as the frogs and tadpoles are in the pool you won't have problems with water breeding pests in there.   

[Mairte]

That is what I told my neighbor when they were worried about mosquito larvae.
Some are growing legs now! 

[Mairte]

Yesterday I discovered we dont just have regular green frogs in the pool. I discovered tons of tiny little tree frogs! They are bright green and about half the size of my pinkie fingernail. I did see some super small tadpoles but as I know NOTHING about treefrogs, I didnt really think about it.
As I have said, cheap entertainment.

[Lady Christina de Pond]

nature is often cheap entertainment
thats cool that you have tree frogs too.

[Mairte]

Well, I knew we had treefrogs around, I have seen/heard adults.
The other ones look more and more like frogs every day and hang out mostly in the shallower areas now. I am hoping they grow before we get a good freeze or I will have to rig up something in the house and conduct a rescue mission. Keeping an eye on the temps...
Oh! The reason I think these little ones are tree frogs is that they stick to the sides of the pool above the water. I have never seen the other types of frogs do that.

[Mairte]

Got most of the little frogs out of the pool but there are a few "stragglers". It's been a fun experience anyway.
My next door neighbor, a couple weeks ago, said she had wondered where all the frogs were coming from. But we both agreed we like frogs better than bugs and there certainly were less bugs this year!

[scarletnyx]

Aww you're so lucky Mairte! 1. We have a small apartment full of snakes, so no room for an aquarium big enough for tadpoles even though I desperately miss/want fish/tadpoles/any water feature and 2. You have a private pool and I am jealous! our apartment building has one, but it's only nice if the college kids who stay here aren't there. Otherwise, it's partially shaded and actually pretty nice.

[Mairte]

LOL, my "pool" is kind of a "ghetto" type. Not inground, but its a big intex frame pool.  I hope to take it down after the weekend. If not all the tadpoles are out, they will go into an aquarium to finish up.
I was told the little green frogs are baby Gray tree frogs.
Hey, YOU are lucky to have snakes! A friend of mine has three albino burmese pythons, one 14 foot long. In my life I have had cornsnakes, kingsnakes, milksnakes and one ball python. None currently though.

[scarletnyx]

LOL, my "pool" is kind of a "ghetto" type. Not inground, but its a big intex frame pool.  I hope to take it down after the weekend. If not all the tadpoles are out, they will go into an aquarium to finish up.
I was told the little green frogs are baby Gray tree frogs.
Hey, YOU are lucky to have snakes! A friend of mine has three albino burmese pythons, one 14 foot long. In my life I have had cornsnakes, kingsnakes, milksnakes and one ball python. None currently though.

Me and the Mr. have 4 - two water snakes, and two Texas Rat snakes. We used to have turtles, but the female had eggs and we decided to let all of them go at the same time. I miss them, and I miss the smell/sounds/sights of a water tank. But I love my little snakey friends They watch me when I'm bustling about cleaning the lovenest, as if they know their daddy isn't here to watch me.

[Taffy Saltwater]

I wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed reading about your adventures in frogland. Thanks for keeping us updated.

[Mairte]

LOL, thanks you! (blush)