About Baby Frogs

Frogs are among the most recognizable animals in the world, known for their song-like croaks at night and their penchant for hopping about the edges of ponds and forests. Amphibians, frogs undergo quite a bit of change shortly after their births, making baby frogs and their lifestyles and growth patterns very interesting and unique in the animal world.
  1. Eggs

    • Before they are born, baby frogs are contained within gelatinous eggs laid by the female. These eggs, which are bunched together by the hundreds in an area of little water circulation within a pond or lake, are translucent, meaning that you can see right through them. Inside is the tiny baby frog, curled up and typically black in color. Other types of frogs lay their eggs the same way, but in different places. For example, tree frogs lay their eggs in tree branches within foamy cocoons.

    Tadpoles

    • After about six to 21 days, the eggs will hatch, revealing the baby frog, which looks far different from an adult. These babies, known as tadpoles (or sometimes polliwogs), are tiny, only about a centimeter long on average, and look like heads with tails. They're limbless, in what is known as the larval stage. At this point, they will eat mostly algae and other vegetation, as over time their legs will sprout and their tails will shrink.

    Froglets

    • When the frog reaches about 12 weeks old, it will be a baby froglet. It will have a similar physical appearance to an adult frog, but will have a tiny, stubby tail. It will start to learn about its environment and explore both land and water, and also begin eating insects instead of plants. These are true baby frogs, since they're no longer in a larval stage. Eventually, the tail will vanish completely, and after about 16 weeks, the frog will be considered an adult.