The case of the missing tadpoles!

[bagsmom]

About a month and a half ago, I had tons of tadpoles. I think they were from teeny tiny tree frogs and some seemed like they might have been a larger variety. I had them at many different stages of development. The last time I saw the whole crew, most had back legs and tails. It seemed like they had a ways to go before they were frogs. I just noticed I have very few tadpoles now. I haven't seen any floating dead ones in the intake bay. The fish aren't big enough to eat them. Will raccoons eat tadpoles? I know we have one in the neighborhood and I have seen tracks by the pond. It's a mystery!

 

[zeuspaul]

Dragon fly larva eat tadpoles. I am guessing they became frogs and hopped away.

 

[BKHpondcritters]

Other than the toads, who hop out of the pond in mass when they finish developing, I very rarely see any exodus from the pond when other tadpoles have finished developing. One day I'm seeing lots of little tadpoles with back legs and the next time I go looking, they're just gone. This happens with the wood frogs & tree frogs, primarily, since when the green & bullfrogs finish they just continue to hang around the pond. I sort of wonder if they're more vulnerable during the metamorphosis, so they do more hiding & then sneak out under cover of darkness?

 

[addy1]

The thousands of tads we get just poof away, toads are so tiny when they leave, the same with tree frogs.

The green frogs we see them with tails for a while then finally just see tiny frogs.

 

[rubyduby]

Okay, this is weird...I have noticed the same thing...I had so many tree frog tads that my rocks in the pond all looked black...Then, before they grew legs they were almost all gone...My only thought is that my shubunkins ate them, or maybe the bigger tadpoles (I have a few green frog and bull frog tadpoles still living in there I think (they are always well hidden)...I am very vigilant and would notice if there was a predator lurking....There are NO signs of raccoons..no scat, no prints..no disturbance of plants...it's a mystery............

 

[j.w]

I wonder if small snakes or birds would be picking them off? Otherwise no clue unless they matured awful fast.

 

[rubyduby]

I wonder if small snakes or birds would be picking them off? Otherwise no clue unless they matured awful fast.

It's a mystery...I would know if there were any snakes and I see birds bathing in the stream all the time but none walk the perimeter...Thanks for the thought though j.w.! When I lived in VA the tads would turn into teeny weeny frogs and they would be hopping ALL OVER...It was so hard to walk without stepping on them...Here, I have never seen one make it to the frog stage...

 

[j.w]

I saw a garter snake here yesterday by my pond. They are sneaky and hide. I hear they will eat small fish. How can you know for sure if there isn't one hiding? What about that pretty egret............maybe he/she had a few snacks?

 

[rubyduby]

I saw a garter snake here yesterday by my pond. They are sneaky and hide. I hear they will eat small fish. How can you know for sure if there isn't one hiding? What about that pretty egret............maybe he/she had a few snacks?

Unlike you I have a VERY small yard (8,000 sq ft = Florida) so I have a bead on my pond most of the day (retired and old and the only snakes I have seen are black snakes that eat my curly tailed lizards.....I am pretty sure they don't swim or at least I have never seen one actually IN the water where they could reach the tads...My egret friend stands on the edge peering into the water but never has caught anything but a drink...but could there be tiny tads in that gulp? Hmmmmm......

 

[rubyduby]

UPDATE: I just read that black racer snakes swim well and eat fish and tadpoles! I had a huge one here around my pond eating my curly tail lizards so he might be the reason my tadpoles are all but gone Must be very sneaky though since I have not seen him actually IN the pond....

 

[j.w]

@rubyduby Sneaky Snake reminded me of this old song:

 

[Mgessert]

Oh my gosh, that’s too funny! Thanks for the laugh JW!