For many common pond frogs, a tadpole takes a few months to become a froglet, but the range across species is enormous. Couch’s spadefoot toad in the desert can go from egg to froglet in as little as 9 days, while American bullfrog tadpoles in the north can take 3 years. Temperature and the permanence of the water are the biggest factors: warmer water means faster development, and frogs that breed in puddles that dry out have to hurry.
Here’s what happens along the way and why the timing varies so much.
How long is the tadpole stage for common frogs? #
A few examples show the spread:
| Species | Egg to hatching | Tadpole to froglet |
|---|---|---|
| Couch’s spadefoot toad | Very fast | As little as 9 days from egg-laying |
| Western spadefoot | Fast | At least 3 weeks |
| Common frog (Europe) | 2 to 3 weeks | Spring spawn has mostly changed by June and July |
| American bullfrog | 3 to 5 days | A few months in the south to 3 years in the north |
| Common coquí | Develops inside the egg | No free-swimming tadpole stage |
The common frog is the one most British and European gardeners see. According to Wikipedia’s common frog article, its eggs usually take 2 to 3 weeks to hatch, and by June and July most tadpoles have transformed. So from spawn in early spring to tiny frogs leaving the pond takes roughly three to four months.
Why do some tadpoles change in days and others take years? #
It comes down to the water they’re born in.
Desert spadefoots race the clock. Couch’s spadefoot breeds in temporary rain pools in places like the Sonoran Desert. Mating happens the first night after rain begins, because those pools can be short-lived. Tadpoles that can’t finish in time die, so the species develops astonishingly fast.
Bullfrogs take their time. American bullfrogs breed in permanent ponds and lakes. With no risk of the water vanishing, their tadpoles can grow over one or more winters before changing. In the colder north of their range, that can mean three years as a tadpole. Our bullfrog facts cover the species in more detail.
Temperature speeds everything up. Tadpoles develop faster in warmer water. The common frog even uses this: its clumped egg masses raise the embryos’ temperature above the surrounding water, which speeds development early in spring.
What are the stages of a tadpole turning into a frog? #
Metamorphosis follows the same order in most frogs:
- Egg. Laid in water, as clumps in common frogs or as a floating sheet in bullfrogs, among other forms.
- Hatchling tadpole. Mostly head and tail, breathing through gills and feeding largely on plant matter.
- Back legs. The hind legs appear first.
- Lungs. Around the time the legs grow, lungs develop and tadpoles start swimming to the surface to gulp air.
- Front legs. The front legs come next.
- Tail absorption. The tail shrinks as the body breaks it down through programmed cell death.
- Froglet. The mouth widens from a small tadpole mouth to one as wide as the head, the gut shortens as the diet switches from plants to animals, and the tiny frog leaves the water.
That diet switch is a big one. Most tadpoles start out as plant-eaters, and adult frogs are carnivores, so the digestive system has to change during metamorphosis.
Do all frogs have tadpoles? #
No. Some frogs skip the free-swimming tadpole stage. The common coquí of Puerto Rico develops inside the egg, and a fully independent froglet hatches out with a small tail that it loses shortly after. This is called direct development, and it lets these frogs breed away from ponds and streams.
Other frogs keep the tadpole stage but look after it. Poison dart frog parents carry newly hatched tadpoles one at a time to small pools of water, often inside plants, and glass frog tadpoles drop from leaves into the stream below. Our poison dart frog facts and glass frog facts describe both.
Why aren’t the tadpoles in my pond turning into frogs? #
A few common reasons:
- They may be a slow species. Bullfrog tadpoles can spend more than one winter in a pond.
- The water is cold. Development slows in cool water, so a shaded or deep pond may take longer.
- Food is short. Tadpoles need enough to eat to grow, and crowded ponds can run low.
- It’s early. Legs appear partway through the tadpole stage, and front legs and tail loss come near the end.
If you’re raising tadpoles, check your local wildlife rules first, and never release tadpoles or frogs from one place into another. Moving amphibians can spread disease and introduce species where they cause harm.
How fast do tadpoles grow in Frog Pond? #
Instantly, which is one of the perks of a game. In Frog Pond, the Tadpole is the first of eight worker tiers, described as a tiny wiggler and a cheap starter you should buy a swarm of. Each one costs 15 coins and makes 0.1 coins a second, and the game’s prestige currency is the Tadpole Egg, which you earn by migrating to a new pond. A rare Neon Tadpole can also hatch from a Mystery Egg. It’s a cozy, pixel-art take on growing a pond full of frogs, with bullfrogs, tree frogs, glass frogs and poison darts further up the ladder.
Frequently asked questions #
How long do tadpoles take to grow legs? #
It varies by species and temperature. The back legs always come first, and the front legs follow later, shortly before the tail is absorbed.
What is the fastest a tadpole can turn into a frog? #
Couch’s spadefoot toad is one of the fastest, maturing in as little as 9 days after the eggs are laid in temporary desert pools.
How long do bullfrog tadpoles stay tadpoles? #
Anywhere from a few months in warm southern waters to 3 years in the north of their range.
Does warm water make tadpoles grow faster? #
Yes. Tadpole development speeds up at higher temperatures, which is why the same species can change sooner in a warm, sunny pond than in a cold, shaded one.