When Do Tadpoles Need Land?

Frogs are interesting pets to observe, particularly as they mature from a tadpole to an adult. Watching the metamorphosis reveals a side of nature that people rarely get to see. While a tadpole is young, it does not need access to land. But at some point, your tadpole will transition from water to land. Knowing when to provide your tadpole with access to land is vital.

  1. Tadpole Life

    • A tadpole starts life as an egg. Once it hatches, it rapidly develops the things that it will need to make the transition from water to land. A newly hatched tadpole is little more than a tail and a pair of gills with a mouth. It spends its time latched on to leaves or algae until it has developed enough to swim. From this point, it takes about four weeks for a tadpole to start losing its gills and develop lungs. A few weeks after this, legs develop and arms sprout out of the body.

    Transition

    • During the time when the tadpole develops arms and legs, it begins to need access to land. Shortly after this, it begins to look like a frog with a long tail and reaches its adult size. Once arms have developed, the tadpole is considered a froglet or metamorphling. From here it is a quick transition to adulthood, where the frog will spend time on land until returning to the water to spawn.

    Time Required for Metamorphosis

    • There is no way to predict when your tadpole needs access to land. The time required for metamorphosis varies from species to species and is impacted by the environment that the tadpole is in. Tadpoles with small habitats and cool water develop slower than the same species with access to warmer water and a larger habitat. Species that developed in drier climates tend to develop faster than those that developed in wetter climates.

    When to Provide Access to Land

    • Rather than attempting to predict when to provide your tadpole with access to land, it is easier to watch the tadpole to determine its stage of development. After the tadpole has developed legs, it begins to develop arms. At first this looks like sacs at the upper portion of the body. It is during this time that the tadpole begins to come to the surface of the water for air. When this happens, it is time to provide the tadpole with access to land. Though your tadpole may not immediately use this access, it is necessary to have it available for when your tadpole is ready to come to land.