Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Tadpoles?

Hey guys just noticed on our pond today tadpoles. Now you may say whats the big deal about tadpoles on a pond? Well our pond is 35*F and is half ice still. At the end of the year last year I ask my self and my wife whats going to happen to all these tadpoles when winter comes. Well these guys must have frozen right solid and thawed with the ice. I have seen a few now that are the size of my thumb nail. The same size they were last fall before winter came in. They didn't die but some how lived through this hard freeze. The ice on our pond still is about 15"s but cracked and breaking up. The shore line is 4" rip rap all around and about 12 feet long with 3 feet out of the water.

Just wondered if anyone knew what really happens to these guys over the winter. I guess they must some how freeze solid but still live. There is no frogs yet at all around the pond still to cold for them to be moving around yet.

Weird man weird......

Cheers Don.

The tadpoles are bullfrog tadpoles. About all other frog & toad tadpoles develop into young frogs within the first summer. Bullfrogs will take 2-3 summers to develop depending I think primarily on number of heat units. It takes a specific number of heat units to reach 'maturity' or to begin the transition from tadpole to adult. To over winter the tadpoles swim into the depths, lie on the bottom ooze or sediments where water temps are often 40F, sometimes 41F and become fairly dormant - inactive until spring and warmer water.