Polywog Tadpoles In FingerLakes Lakeshore Estuary Creek Stock Photo

Common childhood activity in the spring and summer in USA. Collecting polliwogs in a glass jar to watch them grow. Polliwog and tadpole are different words for the same thing. Both words refer to the larval stage of both frogs and toads. Although experts can differentiate many tadpoles by species, all have gills, eyes, a tiny mouth, and a fin-like tail. The metamorphosis from this larval form swimming in a watery environment to adult amphibian with legs and lungs adapted to life out of water is a journey fraught with danger. Among the hazards are numerous predators of various types, and uncertain environmental conditions. Few tadpoles will survive to become adult frogs or toads.