Mutant tadpoles, John Clare maybe you could help

[crysti-lei]

i know tadpoles are not tailed amphibians, but some one might be able to explain the problem.
A while ago i cought some tadpoles out of my pond to put them in a tank and whatch them change. Now they are a lot bigger and are physically retared.
their tails don't follow straight out from their spine, instead they have grown stright up, on a right angle to their spine, or up then out and some have even grown up and out sideways.
the only explaination i can think of is that the bottom of a thermometer broke and the alcohol of what ever was in it (not mercury) leaked into the tank.
could it be that, or just a tremendous amount of inbreeding?

 

[emily]

There is a condition called 'Fetal Alcohol Syndrome'(FAS) seen in children whose mothers were binge drinkers during pregnancy. Effects include mental retardation, small heads with flat cheeks, tiny eyes and a kind of 'blending' between nose and upper lip, and behavioural problems including a tendancy toward violence.

Perhaps you are about to see a load of pin headed, retarded frogs bouncing off the walls as they try to kill each other...

Sorry, I should try to stop laughing.

The only serious thing I can suggest is that apparently all frogs produce unique looking tadpoles. I've heard of frog experts identifying frogs by the appearence of the tadpole. Perhaps they are just from an exciting type of frog. Or perhaps they are just inbreds.

 

[jennifer]

Lack of calcium in the diet can cause skeletal deformities. Just a thought.

 

[crysti-lei]

they are Motorbike Frog tadpoles, native to most of WA.
you have to feel sorry for them, all that some can do is swin in circles, poor things.

 

[john]

Don't ask me...

 

[crysti-lei]

ok then i wont

 

[edward]

Hi Cryti-lei,
Are these tadpoles you colleted?

 

[jackiem]

They might further develop into normal frogs (may be wishful thinking but its just a possibility if its only their tails that are retarded).

I guess you're the guardian for a whole bunch of retarded frogs now :\ heh.

 

[crysti-lei]

hey Ed, they're from my pond. I was asked to get them out because there was already too many frogs in there (they keep you up all night). i gave some to friends, but i just can't seem to let go of my little retards.

 

[edward]

Hi Crysti-lei,
There is a fluke that uses tadpoles and frogs as an intermediary host that causes deformities in developing tadpoles and when they metamorph into frogs. The fluke encysts at the base of the tail causing deformities in tail orientation and upon metamorphosis they can cause the animal to develope abnormally (including no hind legs to multiple hind legs). This causes the frogs to be easy prey for the final host (which are birds). If you have a good snail population in your pond then this is a likely cause for the deformities you are seeing.
Ed

 

[kiley]

I had a few bullfrog tadpoles that had a similar stituation. The tails jetted out to the side. I've heard it called crooked tail syndrom but I'm not sure if that's the real term for it. Mine almost looked like they had some form of cancer. A bulge at the base of the tail made it so that the tail couldn't grow straight. Those tadpoles swam in circles upside down. Later they began to float upside down for a few months. It was a real struggle for them to stay down. The moment they stopped swimming they sould jet up to the surface upside down. They eventually starved to death. Does anybody know why the floated?

 

[crysti-lei]

hi ed, i'm not sure about how many snails, but there is a hell of alot of slugs. that sounds very likely, they're got legs now, and my biggest one only has one leg and its growing out of his bum.
will the 'fluke' effect them in adult hood othere then making them easy prey? they're quite safe from birds because we have two dogs and netting covering the pond.
and is there anyway to get rid of it, i imaging it is like a parasite.

hi kiley, mine don't float, they actually seem to give up swimming and lay on the bottom. but they are still growing pretty fast.

 

[emily]

Frogs with more than two hind legs! Crysti-lei, if this happens, PLEASE post us a photo.

 

[waldo]

flukes are a type of internal worm parasite,talk to a vet about treating your little frogs

 

[edward]

Hi Crysti-lei,
As the fluke is encysted in the tadpole and then the frog this can usually only be removed through the use of surgery as most anti-helmitics will not affect the encysted parasite. The fact that one of the tadpoles only has one misplaced leg developing does lean towards this theory.
The deformities can cause the frogs problems by making it hard for them to move around as well as possibly interfering with prey capture.
The only way to lessen this problem in the future would be to interupt the life cycle of the fluke and this would mean cutting back the numbers of snails (and possibly slugs although they have not been implicated in transmission of this fluke)or birds that may consume the tadpoles or frogs (and this can include common birds such as starlings and grackles) which can be a difficult task.
Ed

 

[crysti-lei]

well i can't afford a vets help so i guess i'll just have to look after and raise the poor things.
when they turn into froglets i look into artificail habbitats for frogs.