TADPOLE help!?

Question

my friends and i found some adorable black tadpoles in a fountian pond in Virginia, we dont know how to identify them or if their toads, salamanders/newts, or frogs?

currently we have them in a plastic animal container and how to put them in our backyard pond when they get older they are thriving and eating the plants we took from their habbitat and whatnot

any advice on care etc is appericated! thanks!

Answer 1

put them back from where you got them they probably have that aids that the poor poeple get

lol

Answer 2

http://allaboutfrogs.org/info/doctor/fir...

http://allaboutfrogs.org/info/tadpoles/

http://www.anapsid.org/sallies.html

Hope i helped, and may God be with you!

Answer 3

ok you can identy that they are a newt or salamnder by seeing how thin it is if its as thin as a pencil point they are probly a salamnder or newt any other would be frog or toad but it also  depends on where you live if you are in the south its probly a salamander or newt if you are in the north it is probly a frog or toad (wich scientest decided where the same thing) my gues is they are frogs because they are plack not grey

Answer 4

Salamander larva look like little salamanders with feather like gills on the side of their head. Almost all frogs and toads are black when they first hatch. As they grow they to a brownish green. Toad tadpoles will metamorphosis when they are about 1/2 to 3/4 inches long, if they grow more they are probably frogs. Putting them out in your pond will be better for them than the container.

Answer 5

It's hard to say what type of frogs/toads they are, until they are closer crawling out of the water.  For now, keep them with plants from their natural habitat, and water from where you found them as well.  Sink water may cause problems because it contains choromine and chlorine that could kill them with extended exposer to it.

As for caring for them, some people think that tadpoles thrive on sparkling clean water, and others think it's better to let algae grow, so that they can eat it.  I happen to agree with the second, first, because it's  easier, and second, because it works for me best.  I have had no luck with clean water, but with partially green water, it has always worked.  Just keep refreshing the water in the contianer with fresh water from a local pond, or better yet, the water you found them in.  To refresh the water, simply remove half or a two thirds of the water in the container, and replenish it with fresh water.  

If there is algae in the water, and plants, and stuff like that, the tadpoles will eat those, and will be happy.  You can supplement with tiny pieces of frozen lettuce, but you have to be really careful not to leave it in the water for too long, otherwise it will rot and ruin the water.  Then you would have to pretty much to a full water change.  

Don't try feeding them fish food, because they won't eat most of the flake, and that will really pollute the water.

I guess, the best way to keep your tadpoles alive, is to keep the water fresh, but natural, so it should look like it does in the pond you found it in.

Also, provide a place for the tadpoles to cling on to, and climb up on, when they are ready to come out of the water.  Some frogs will never come out of the water, others will come out sooner than the rest, so be prepared for this now.  A piece of really light, dry wood, like the kind from a log that has been rotting, but has stopped, and is very light and foats well, will work really nicely.  Other wise you can buy a floating island from a pet store.  

Letting your frogs go is always kindof hard to do, but, unless you are prepared to feed ravenouse frogs for a couple years, let them go!  Any pond will do.   But don't let them go until a day or two after they come out of the water.  you can let them go in the order in which the climb out of the water, not when all of them have grown to that stage.

A good way to tell if you tadpoles are ready to be realeased, is when their tail is nearly gone.  Even if they are out of the water, they often still prefer to be in the water most of the time, when their tail is still present.  So watch for these things, and have fun!

And here are some links to identify tadpoles, but It may not be of any help.  I usually just wait until they look like frogs, befor I ID them.

http://www.trentu.ca/biology/berrill/Ide...

http://www.walterreeves.com/insects_anim...

Just google "tadpole identification" and mabey you can find something even better.

Answer 6

If they are very black they are most likely toads, also the fountain part, no salamanders and only tree frogs would lay their eggs in that type of place...but toads lay their eggs in very odd and small bodies of water.

Don't let them get overcrowded and change up some of the water regularly with pond water or dechlorinated tap water, because if you don't, they will transform too early, too small and have a harder time fending for themselves as tiny toads.

I put a bunch in my pond this spring, and when they transformed they hopped off into the yard, I keep seeing many tiny, but growing fast toads now when I do my yardwork.