I have a one acre pond that was build in July, 2008. I have added
nothing; either animal or plant.

However, much is happening. Cat Tails, duck weed, black willow, and
other plants I haven't identified have arrived.

Canada geese are nesting. Swallows skim the surface scooping up insects.

There are also thousands of small tadpoles. These are only about 1/4"
and are black. I don't see any gills, but I wonder if these are frog or
salamander tadpoles. I hear peepers at night.

Black is most likely toad tadpoles.

kathy :-)

On Sun, 25 Apr 2010 00:08:07 EDT, kathy wrote:

Black is most likely toad tadpoles.

[not the OP]
I did not know that. Even when they're tiny? I was scooping some
string algae out last week and noticed some wiggling. Then I saw
that all the green slime around most of my plants was filled with the
tiny little black wigglers.

We did have a toad sounding off in the pond a couple weeks ago, but I
didn't see any of the strings of eggs anywhere. [and it is a tiny pond
& quite clear]

I figured these tadpoles had to be from the plethora of Green Frogs
that hang out.

I'll have to scoop out some more and examine them more closely.

I just found this chart that mentions some more identifiers [and which
agrees with you :-)];
http://www.trentu.ca/biology/berrill...ationTable.htm


Jim

kathy wrote:
Black is most likely toad tadpoles.

kathy :-)


You may be right.

I have never heard American Toads trilling at this location. But I have
heard Eastern Spadefoot Toads calling.

Last year, these tadpoles matured in less than one month. But I was not
there to see the changes. Maybe I will see more this year.

As volunteers, we do a Frog Calling Survey for the Ohio Department of
Natural Resources. So we are often more familiar with the calls then
with the actual frog.

Thanks for your comment.

On Sat, 1 May 2010 10:42:05 EDT, wrote:

or "toadpoles"

On Sun, 25 Apr 2010 00:08:07 EDT, kathy wrote:

Black is most likely toad tadpoles.

Glad I'm not the only one. We have 'frog-wogs' or 'toadpoles' when I
can tell the difference.g

Jim

toadally!


kathy :-)

My first batch of chorus frogs have hatched, so I have taddiepoles.

This year it sounds like I have 3 males frogs when the evenings are warm,
tonight though, quiet. Heard a couple croaks and that was it. ~ jan
------------
Zone 7a, SE Washington State
Ponds: www.jjspond.us

DLC wrote:
I have a one acre pond that was build in July, 2008. I have added
nothing; either animal or plant.

However, much is happening. Cat Tails, duck weed, black willow, and
other plants I haven't identified have arrived.

Canada geese are nesting. Swallows skim the surface scooping up insects.

There are also thousands of small tadpoles. These are only about 1/4"
and are black. I don't see any gills, but I wonder if these are frog or
salamander tadpoles. I hear peepers at night.


I just returned from visiting our tree farm with the new pond.

I have decided that the tadpoles; now gone; are in fact, Eastern
Spadefoot Toads. I clearly hear their calls out in the pasture near the
pond.

The Canada geese have one gosling. Once, while I was walking around the
pond, I disturbed the parents so that they swam out from the cattails.
After they had gone about fifty feet, they realized junior wasn't
there. They turned around and both honked loudly, junior swam out from
the cattails as fast as he could. A small happy moment to remember.

The other surprise was finding a 13" snapping turtle sunning on the dam.
We have had for many years two or three snapping turtles in Sharp's
Fork which is a small river about 1500 feet east and 200 downhill from
the pond. Sharp's Fork overflows several times each year and I surmise
that the turtle got washed into the pasture and wandered into the pond.
Now there is only one lonely turtle in Sharp's Fork.

Green Frogs have found the pond.

A Great Blue Heron and a smaller heron (I haven't identified this) seem
to be regular visitors.

Sounds like a loverly place.

I wonder if your other heron is a green backed heron?

kathy :-)