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Thread: Tadpole identification assistance

  1. #1
    100+ Post Member teslas intern's Avatar
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    Default Tadpole identification assistance

    Hey all... So I went to a vernal pool known to be inhabited by gray tree frogs. I found a number of tadpoles. They are about an inch to an inch and a half long, sport broad tails, are a mottled brown color, and when held to a flashlight, have deep red cheeks. But this swamp also houses wood frogs, bullfrogs, and green frogs. Most of the tads have back legs. So upon consulting the almighty google they look a lot like wood frog tadpoles, and also grey treefrog tadpoles, but the grey's seem to have a red tail, but not in all of the photos... The pupils are round, if that helps... I really want some gray tads... Can anyone tell me what to look for, I'd upload a photo but to my knowledge that functionality is still broken. Thanks!
    2 White's Tree frogs, Merrill and Morgan.
    1 Brachypelma Vagans (no name yet)
    1 Brachypelma Smithi (no name yet)
    1 Psalmopoeus Irminia (no name yet)
    1 Poecilotheria Metallica (no name yet)
    1 Avicularia Versicolor (no name yet)
    1 Grammastola Pultripes (no name yet)
    1 Grammastola Pulchra (no name yet)
    1x10^3 B Dubia
    1x10^3 B Lateralis
    1x10^3 native isopods, in a surprising variety of color morphs.
    Assorted plants...

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    100+ Post Member Cliygh and Mia 2's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tadpole identification assistance

    To upload your pictures, just copy and paste the picture from Photobucket or another picture website

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    Default Re: Tadpole identification assistance

    Well I signed up for photobucket, and unfortunately my camera phone won't focus on tadpoles in less than crystal clear water, in less than perfectly clean glass... Isn't there some key identifier besides the seemingly optional red tail that I can use to tell the species apart?
    2 White's Tree frogs, Merrill and Morgan.
    1 Brachypelma Vagans (no name yet)
    1 Brachypelma Smithi (no name yet)
    1 Psalmopoeus Irminia (no name yet)
    1 Poecilotheria Metallica (no name yet)
    1 Avicularia Versicolor (no name yet)
    1 Grammastola Pultripes (no name yet)
    1 Grammastola Pulchra (no name yet)
    1x10^3 B Dubia
    1x10^3 B Lateralis
    1x10^3 native isopods, in a surprising variety of color morphs.
    Assorted plants...

  5. #4
    100+ Post Member Cliygh and Mia 2's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tadpole identification assistance

    Gray tree frogs have lateral eyes, and wood frogs have bilateral eyes

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    Default Re: Tadpole identification assistance

    Phootobucket isn't working (invalid file type), not that my photos are any good anyway... The pupils are circular, but have a dark area on either side, that makes them appear elongated.
    2 White's Tree frogs, Merrill and Morgan.
    1 Brachypelma Vagans (no name yet)
    1 Brachypelma Smithi (no name yet)
    1 Psalmopoeus Irminia (no name yet)
    1 Poecilotheria Metallica (no name yet)
    1 Avicularia Versicolor (no name yet)
    1 Grammastola Pultripes (no name yet)
    1 Grammastola Pulchra (no name yet)
    1x10^3 B Dubia
    1x10^3 B Lateralis
    1x10^3 native isopods, in a surprising variety of color morphs.
    Assorted plants...

  7. #6
    100+ Post Member Cliygh and Mia 2's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tadpole identification assistance

    Here is the link I found this out from
    https://www.trentu.ca/biology/berril...ationTable.htm

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    Default Re: Tadpole identification assistance

    That's actually helpful, I think I have gray's. The eyes can be seen bulging out a bit when looking at them from above, so that means tree frog, not wood frog. I guess I'll just wait it out...
    2 White's Tree frogs, Merrill and Morgan.
    1 Brachypelma Vagans (no name yet)
    1 Brachypelma Smithi (no name yet)
    1 Psalmopoeus Irminia (no name yet)
    1 Poecilotheria Metallica (no name yet)
    1 Avicularia Versicolor (no name yet)
    1 Grammastola Pultripes (no name yet)
    1 Grammastola Pulchra (no name yet)
    1x10^3 B Dubia
    1x10^3 B Lateralis
    1x10^3 native isopods, in a surprising variety of color morphs.
    Assorted plants...

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    Default Re: Tadpole identification assistance

    As an update, three of the tadpoles died, and one of them transformed, into something that was clearly not a gray tree frog. So I left them all go where I found them. I guess I'll hunt down some tadpoles next year, life is too busy for me to worry about it for now anyway...
    2 White's Tree frogs, Merrill and Morgan.
    1 Brachypelma Vagans (no name yet)
    1 Brachypelma Smithi (no name yet)
    1 Psalmopoeus Irminia (no name yet)
    1 Poecilotheria Metallica (no name yet)
    1 Avicularia Versicolor (no name yet)
    1 Grammastola Pultripes (no name yet)
    1 Grammastola Pulchra (no name yet)
    1x10^3 B Dubia
    1x10^3 B Lateralis
    1x10^3 native isopods, in a surprising variety of color morphs.
    Assorted plants...

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    100+ Post Member Cliygh and Mia 2's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tadpole identification assistance

    Could they have been chorus frogs?

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    Default Re: Tadpole identification assistance

    Not in my area I don't think. Perhaps peepers, but I think they were too big for that. I'm guessing wood frogs, because they didn't turn green, upon transforming. I guess I'll have to see some tree frog tads to understand the thing with the eyes. Oh well, I'll try again next year.
    2 White's Tree frogs, Merrill and Morgan.
    1 Brachypelma Vagans (no name yet)
    1 Brachypelma Smithi (no name yet)
    1 Psalmopoeus Irminia (no name yet)
    1 Poecilotheria Metallica (no name yet)
    1 Avicularia Versicolor (no name yet)
    1 Grammastola Pultripes (no name yet)
    1 Grammastola Pulchra (no name yet)
    1x10^3 B Dubia
    1x10^3 B Lateralis
    1x10^3 native isopods, in a surprising variety of color morphs.
    Assorted plants...

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  16. #11
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    Default Re: Tadpole identification assistance

    Give it a couple of weeks and then hunt for the grey tads. I know around here, they aren't quite going yet. I am TERRIBLE at tad ID, but just keep listening for them to be calling at the water areas at night. I usually go out in the field several times during the spring to see who is breeding where...you get a really good idea of what tads will be where.
    2.0.3 Hyla versicolor "Eastern Gray Tree Frogs"
    2.2.0 Agalychnis callidryas "Red Eyed Tree Frogs"

    0.0.3 Dendrobates auratus "Turquoise and Bronze"
    0.0.1 Anaxyrus fowleri "Fowler's Toad"



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  18. #12
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    Default Re: Tadpole identification assistance

    I hear grays, everywhere! Though last night I did notice they were louder at areas that previously they weren't calling from... I'll look again this weekend maybe.
    2 White's Tree frogs, Merrill and Morgan.
    1 Brachypelma Vagans (no name yet)
    1 Brachypelma Smithi (no name yet)
    1 Psalmopoeus Irminia (no name yet)
    1 Poecilotheria Metallica (no name yet)
    1 Avicularia Versicolor (no name yet)
    1 Grammastola Pultripes (no name yet)
    1 Grammastola Pulchra (no name yet)
    1x10^3 B Dubia
    1x10^3 B Lateralis
    1x10^3 native isopods, in a surprising variety of color morphs.
    Assorted plants...

  19. #13
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    Default Re: Tadpole identification assistance

    Sure enough, I found some in a bumper boat pond over the weekend. There are toad TADS, and another species with the eyes on the sides of the head, it's got to be them, they've been singing at that pond for years... I'll have to get as many as I can before they shock the pond... I'll keep some and release the rest into my goldfish pond. As a side note, does anyone know how to harmlessly drive away green frogs, so they don't eat all of my tads when they hatch? I like them around, but there is like a dozen frogs in a hundred gallon pond, a very dense population...
    2 White's Tree frogs, Merrill and Morgan.
    1 Brachypelma Vagans (no name yet)
    1 Brachypelma Smithi (no name yet)
    1 Psalmopoeus Irminia (no name yet)
    1 Poecilotheria Metallica (no name yet)
    1 Avicularia Versicolor (no name yet)
    1 Grammastola Pultripes (no name yet)
    1 Grammastola Pulchra (no name yet)
    1x10^3 B Dubia
    1x10^3 B Lateralis
    1x10^3 native isopods, in a surprising variety of color morphs.
    Assorted plants...

  20. #14
    100+ Post Member Cliygh and Mia 2's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tadpole identification assistance

    To drive away green frogs, why not make them think that there is a predator, play eagle or hawk sounds, my family did that when some squirrels got in our attic once, and it worked, but I am not sure how it would work on a frog though...

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  22. #15
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    Default Re: Tadpole identification assistance

    It's worth a shot... And that way once the sounds stop they should come back! Thanks!
    2 White's Tree frogs, Merrill and Morgan.
    1 Brachypelma Vagans (no name yet)
    1 Brachypelma Smithi (no name yet)
    1 Psalmopoeus Irminia (no name yet)
    1 Poecilotheria Metallica (no name yet)
    1 Avicularia Versicolor (no name yet)
    1 Grammastola Pultripes (no name yet)
    1 Grammastola Pulchra (no name yet)
    1x10^3 B Dubia
    1x10^3 B Lateralis
    1x10^3 native isopods, in a surprising variety of color morphs.
    Assorted plants...

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    Moderator LilyPad's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tadpole identification assistance

    Honestly, the pond behind my property is loaded with green frogs and bullfrogs. We still have a huge amount of greys. I wouldn't worry about them, they're all beneficial to our ecosystem! I found the greys to be quite busy at the pond the last two nights though!
    2.0.3 Hyla versicolor "Eastern Gray Tree Frogs"
    2.2.0 Agalychnis callidryas "Red Eyed Tree Frogs"

    0.0.3 Dendrobates auratus "Turquoise and Bronze"
    0.0.1 Anaxyrus fowleri "Fowler's Toad"



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  26. #17
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    Default Re: Tadpole identification assistance

    Well I collected a bunch of tadpoles from the bumper boat pond (and saved about seven adult toads that were stranded, my sister rocks for climbing in that pond by the way...). Hopefully I'll have a chance to go back so I can stock my pond. If I have enough of the little guys perhaps the green frogs won't eat them all. It's better than getting dosed with chlorine... Anyway I'm pretty sure they are grays. They have a metallic patch on the side, and are a light brown with dark mottling. Eyes sick out the sides. No red fin, but there are no predators in there except for boat propellers...
    2 White's Tree frogs, Merrill and Morgan.
    1 Brachypelma Vagans (no name yet)
    1 Brachypelma Smithi (no name yet)
    1 Psalmopoeus Irminia (no name yet)
    1 Poecilotheria Metallica (no name yet)
    1 Avicularia Versicolor (no name yet)
    1 Grammastola Pultripes (no name yet)
    1 Grammastola Pulchra (no name yet)
    1x10^3 B Dubia
    1x10^3 B Lateralis
    1x10^3 native isopods, in a surprising variety of color morphs.
    Assorted plants...

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  28. #18

    Default Re: Tadpole identification assistance

    This link has good diagrams of the eyes and other physical characteristics used to ID tadpoles: http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/tadpole/tutorial.htm

    The big complicated key: http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/tadpole/

    And an easier to use reference for many of the tadpoles of eastern North America: http://fl.biology.usgs.gov/armi/Guid...dpoleGuide.pdf


    Unless you physically remove the green frogs (which would be a temporary measure) or make the pond uninhabitable, you're unlikely to be able to remove them as they're pretty stubborn when they've found a spot they like. Gray's can lay a couple thousand of eggs so some of their offspring has a chance to make it past the gauntlet of pond predators, so overloading with tadpoles is the best bet.

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