Many tadpoles and young frogs are lost to predators.Respiration shifts to the use of lungs as gills shrink.The mouth broadens and the digestive tract changes to that of a predator instead of an herbivore.The legs must develop and the tail is absorbed.Most tadpoles are herbivores, eating algae and other soft plant materials, but they also scavenge dead animals.ĭepending on species, the tadpole stage may last from several weeks to two or three years.ĭuring metamorphosis, the tadpole undergoes dramatic changes to practically every part of its body. Tadpoles are covered with a thin skin, have long, flat tails and small rounded mouths. This transformation is called metamorphosis, which means to “change form.” In a few days or weeks, the eggs hatch into fish-like tadpoles that gradually transform into four-legged adults. Others, such as the chorus frogs, tree frogs, and the wood frog, have special “anti-freeze” substances in their bodies that allow them to survive while buried in shallow soil and leaf litter!Įggs are soft and shell-less and are laid in water.įemale frogs and toads typically produce hundreds to thousands of eggs. Those wintering in deeper waters or burrowed deep underground are protected from freezing. Other species will burrow into the ground. The warty bumps on toads contain chemicals that can repel, sicken, or even kill animals that try to eat them.įrogs and toads survive the winter by hibernatingĪs temperatures begin to drop below freezing, some frog species will seek shelter at the bottoms of lakes and ponds. Their bellies are lighter in color, making them harder for underwater predators looking up to see against the bright sky. Frogs and toads also have skin glands that produce chemicals which are distasteful and, in some species, may be poisonous.

Toads have a dry warty skin and short hind legs and lay their eggs in chains. Frogs have smooth, moist skin and long hind legs and lay their eggs in clusters. Frogs and toads are usually colored in browns or greens, providing good camouflage from predators looking down both in water or on land. Both have wide heads, short bodies, no ribs, and have hip bones and legs specialized for hopping or jumping. Amphibians depend on the outside environment for body heat because they do not produce it internally and have smooth or warty skin that can be quite penetrable, so most species remain in or near water or moist habitats. Amphibians usually lay unshelled eggs in water or moist places, and most species have a gilled larval stage that changes into a lung-breathing adult.

Do frogs hibernate in captivity