Rod Walton

“ The amount of time that adults spend in the water varies enormously. Bullfrogs and green frogs, although they have lungs and breathe air, spend almost all their adult lives in the water. On the other end of the spectrum, toads and treefrogs spend the majority of their adulthood outside of water. All frogs and toads, however, must eventually come back to the water to mate and lay eggs. ”

“ Adult frogs and toads are always predatory, preying on insects mostly but also smaller frogs and fish. Tadpoles are mostly vegetarian, grazing on algae that grow in leaf or rock surfaces under the water. Sometimes, very large tadpoles, such as bullfrog tadpoles, become meat-eaters and sometimes even eat other frogs! ”

“ Tadpoles are the immature (larval) forms of frogs that hatch right from the egg. All tadpoles are completely adapted to live underwater. Like fish, they breath through gills rather than lungs. Tadpoles eventually transform themselves through a process called metamorphosis into adult frogs. Hormone changes within their bodies cause their legs to develop and their tails to be re-absorbed into their bodies. ”

“ Amphibian eggs do not have a hard protective shell like bird or reptile eggs. Frogs and toads lay eggs in jelly-like masses, and unless the eggs are covered with water, they will dry up and die. Most amphibian eggs become much bigger after they are laid because the eggs absorb water and swell to several times their original volume! ”