I have a very small artificial pond in my garden in north Laos.  It has a small pump to create dripping/moving water, to provide oxygen in the water and to discourage mosquito larva.  The pond has no fish, but some healthy plants and water snails, and nice clear water.

 

Last week, these tiny black 'tadpoles' with 2 white spots/eyes appeared in the pond!  They are currently about 3 mm long, and look  like a typical frog tadpole, except that I've never seen tadpoles with white eyes!

 

Additionally, I saw no clumps of frog-spawn or strings of toad-spawn.  I did see what looked like tiny individual seeds floating on the pond water surface. Those seeds were the eggs of these tadpoles....

 

The tadpoles seem happy swimming under the water - that suggests that they have gills.

 

Any ideas?  Alien babies?

 

Edited May 20, 20215 yr by simon43

baby cane toads perhaps?

29 minutes ago, wombat said:

baby cane toads perhaps?

Cane toads?  In Laos?

 

Toads usually lay strings of eggs inside a clear jelly nutrition.  There was nothing like this in my pond, only these very fine 'seeds' floating on the surface of the water - no jelly.

53 minutes ago, simon43 said:

Those seeds were the eggs of these tadpoles....

 

Tadpoles are juvenile frogs, so don't lay eggs only adult frogs do,

some lay the eggs in spawn, some in a  white ball above the water

so when the tadpoles hatch they drop into the water. just leave them

alone and they will develop into frogs.

regards worgeordie

33 minutes ago, worgeordie said:

Tadpoles are juvenile frogs, so don't lay eggs only adult frogs do,

some lay the eggs in spawn, some in a  white ball above the water

so when the tadpoles hatch they drop into the water. just leave them

alone and they will develop into frogs.

regards worgeordie

LoL, I'm a science teacher - so I know a frog life-cycle!  By "Those seeds were the eggs of these tadpoles....", I meant that these 'tadpoles' hatched out of these tiny seed-like eggs. Those tiny eggs don't resemble any amphibian eggs/spawn that I've seen before.

 

 

Frogs lay eggs in clumps. Toads lay eggs in a string?

"Nuke it from orbit. Its the only way to be sure".

1 hour ago, simon43 said:

LoL, I'm a science teacher - so I know a frog life-cycle!  By "Those seeds were the eggs of these tadpoles....", I meant that these 'tadpoles' hatched out of these tiny seed-like eggs. Those tiny eggs don't resemble any amphibian eggs/spawn that I've seen before.

 

 

You did not explain very well in your first post, so the tadpoles

hatched out of the "Seeds",  there are 1000's of species of frogs,

and they lay there eggs in different ways, in the water,out of the water

spawn,lines, very few, masses, you are better to wait until the tadpoles

change into frogs, which will be easier to identify ,then you can look

up on Internet and discover their  life cycle ,and hopefully what their

eggs look like.

regards worgeordie

16 minutes ago, worgeordie said:

You did not explain very well in your first post, so the tadpoles

hatched out of the "Seeds",  there are 1000's of species of frogs,

and they lay there eggs in different ways, in the water,out of the water

spawn,lines, very few, masses, you are better to wait until the tadpoles

change into frogs, which will be easier to identify ,then you can look

up on Internet and discover their  life cycle ,and hopefully what their

eggs look like.

regards worgeordie

I'm not convinced that they are frog tadpoles ???? I've lived in rural locations in south-east Asia for 20 years+, (and taught zoology for many years) and these little guys are new to me ???? .  I'll just have to wait and let them grow, and barricade my door at night, just in case.

1 minute ago, simon43 said:

I'm not convinced that they are frog tadpoles ???? I've lived in rural locations in south-east Asia for 20 years+, (and taught zoology for many years) and these little guys are new to me ???? .  I'll just have to wait and let them grow, and barricade my door at night, just in case.

Please post a picture when they turn into adult  whatever they are.

regards worgeordie

 

I'll stab a guess at some species of smurf.

"Gather around my little children"   

 

Can you hear the parents calling around your pond at night?

If you record the call on your phone, and play it to some locals, you may get your answer.

17 hours ago, worgeordie said:

Tadpoles are juvenile frogs, so don't lay eggs only adult frogs do,

some lay the eggs in spawn, some in a  white ball above the water

so when the tadpoles hatch they drop into the water. just leave them

alone and they will develop into frogs.

regards worgeordie

Sometimes frogs mate with different partners, adopting different positions. They produce frogs porn. Sorry.????

Sperm

Around this household tadpoles are called food.

Frequently get tadpoles like these. I have never see the spawn. I suspect the egg stage only lasts a day or two. Some species of frog gestate the eggs internally, Only expel them when ready to swim, but i think not found in Asia. Have only found them in ponds/bowls with no fish. 

Is it possible it's a type of insect larvae?  I believe there are some insects that imitate tadpoles.

 

However, if they are tadpoles, the answer to the problem is to get some Carnivorous Dragonfly larvae in there to clean it up.  If you don't know Zefrank's "True Facts" series, and you love biology and humor, these videos are well worth a look:     

 

We keep fish purely to eat mosquito larvae! (And to grow pretty pond flowers of course)

16 hours ago, northsouthdevide said:

Can you hear the parents calling around your pond at night?

If you record the call on your phone, and play it to some locals, you may get your answer.

I can. They are warning the youngsters. "Be careful. Knee deep! Knee deep! Knee deep!" 

Mosquito fish fry?

 

21 hours ago, simon43 said:

I'm not convinced that they are frog tadpoles ???? I've lived in rural locations in south-east Asia for 20 years+, (and taught zoology for many years) and these little guys are new to me ???? .  I'll just have to wait and let them grow, and barricade my door at night, just in case.

 

I'll not try to bring anything to the table that you have not already dealt with. But what about newt eggs?

I would suggest if they are very small they could be mosquito lava, your headman sould have some free powder that you can use, if it turns out to be them.

On 5/20/2021 at 1:14 PM, simon43 said:

Any ideas?

 

Salamanders??