The purpose of this page is to show the growth of the tadpoles over time. Click on a photo for a larger picture.
I believe the tadpoles (toadpoles) are Texas Toads (Bufo speciosus) Want to hear what they sound like? (aiff file)
Here are some links about tadpoles:
5.7.01
These are the pictures from the first night we noticed the toads had arrived.
The first is is a picture of a toad with a full throat. The toads appeared out
of the blue one night, so we grabbed the camera and started snapping pictures.
Our neighbors probably think we're funny, running out to take pictures with
a flashlight.
5.20.01
The first picture is a close up of the rocks where the tadpoles like to hang
out. I drew red circles around some of them to try to point out some of the
tadpoles as they are difficult to see. The tadpoles have tails and can swim
fairly well, but do not show signs of leg buds yet. The second picture shows
the general area in the pond where they are easier to see because of the light-colored
rocks.
5.24.01
This picture shows the longer tails that some of the tadpoles have. I also observed that many of the tadpoles seem to be of the same size as the ones from four days ago. It appears that some of the tadpoles are growing at a faster rate than others.
5.26.01
I think this is a hummingbird moth (Hemaris thysbe)! Since we don't have any high speed photograhy capability, these pictures make it hard to tell what it is. It flits around like a hummingbird, but it was only about three inches long. I took these pictures around 11 in the morning, right before a big thunderstorm blew in.
6.15.01
The tadpoles are definitely larger now, and still very numerous. I definitely
think that some are growing faster than others. Hopefully these pictures show
the size differences. I took these around 5:30 in the evening.