Tadpoles

Tadpoles are the juvenile aquatic stage of many species of frogs and toads. This stage typically lasts between 2 to 4 months, during which time they rely on an aquatic lifestyle spending most of their energy feeding, growing, and developing their legs, lungs, and other organs to facilitate metamorphosis into land dwelling adults. Tadpoles play a crucial role in maintaining aquatic ecosystems, as they are a source of food for other species, help to control aquatic vegetation, and may even influence the behavior of neighboring amphibians. In addition, tadpoles are widely used in research and have been studied for over a century to understand the developmental biology of amphibians.