I conducted an experiment to assess the effects of aeration on the growth of bullfrog tadpoles (Rana catesbeiana). Tadpoles in the non-aerated treatment grew slower than tadpoles in the aerated treatment. Tadpoles in the nonaerated treatment were observed at the water's surface more often and on food resources less often than tadpoles in the aerated treatment. Oxygen concentrations in natural a...

In ecological models, the timing of amphibian metamorphosis is dependent upon rate of larval growth, e.g., tadpoles that experience a decrease in growth rate can initiate metamorphosis early. Recent authors have suggested that this plasticity may be lost at some point during the larval period. We tested this hypothesis by exposing groups of tadpoles of the gray treefrog, Hyla versicolor, to dif...

Leptodactylus labyrinthicus tadpoles reach a large size in the nest through consumption of trophic eggs. We previously suggested that the trophic eggs are laid just after amplexus has finished, but our new data do not support this hypothesis. We also present further details on the natural history of the species with regard to breeding activity, spawning site, retreats and the ability of tadpole...

Members of the genus Ranavirus (family Iridoviridae) can cause catastrophic mortality of pond-breeding amphibians and are associated with an emerging infectious disease that may be contributing to amphibian declines. We conducted three experiments to examine factors that may affect transmission both within and between local breeding populations of the wood frog (Rana sylvatica). In a laboratory...

Copepods infected with Dracunculus medinensis larvae collected from infected dogs in Chad were fed to 2 species of fish and tadpoles. Although they readily ingested copepods, neither species of fish, Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) nor fathead minnow (Pimephalis promelas), were found to harbor Dracunculus larvae when examined 2-3 weeks later. Tadpoles ingested copepods much more slowly; ho...

Specific chemosignals (pheromones) have an important role in the antipredator behaviour in amphibians and other vertebrates. However, relatively little is known about the occurrence of chemical alarm cues just in amphibians. The site of chemosignals perception is vomeronasal system. The presence of the vomeronasal system in aquatic amphibians indicates that it did not arise as an adaptation to ...

Many amphibian tadpoles hatch and swim before their inner ears and sense of spatial orientation differentiate. We describe upward and downward swimming responses in hatchling Xenopus laevis tadpoles from stages 32 to 37/38 in which the body rotates about its longitudinal axis. Tadpoles are heavier than water and, if touched while lying on the substratum, they reliably swim upwards, often in a t...

In temporary ponds, submerged plants have adapted to recurrent periods of drought. These ponds often lack the impact large herbivores but can harbor numbers herbivorous tadpoles. Tadpoles Iberian spadefoot toad (Pelobates cultripes) may reach body size and consume quantities macrophytes during their long larval period, which is shortened with risk pond drying. We conducted a mesocosm experiment...

In this experiment, the effects of 0.004 mg·L-1, 0.02 0.1 and 0.5 mg·L-1 cerium chloride solutions on growth metamorphosis development tadpoles black spotted frog were investigated. The experimental results showed that solution at mg·L-1significantly reduced survival rate tadpoles, which was 6.67% 168h (7d) in treatment compared with 93.3% blank control (lake water). condition (body weight) (0....

1. Sensory modalities that allow tadpoles to assess their environment, and subsequently mediate their development, are not well understood. 2. By putting clay model tadpoles into the tanks with live tadpoles we have enhanced tactile and visual stimuli for tadpoles of three species ( Rana sylvatica , Bufo americanus and Xenopus laevis ) in a controlled fashion. The goal was to determine whether ...