simon43 Posted May 20, 2021 Share Posted May 20, 2021 (edited) 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, 2021 by simon43 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wombat Posted May 20, 2021 Share Posted May 20, 2021 baby cane toads perhaps? 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simon43 Posted May 20, 2021 Author Share Posted May 20, 2021 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post worgeordie Posted May 20, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted May 20, 2021 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 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simon43 Posted May 20, 2021 Author Share Posted May 20, 2021 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VocalNeal Posted May 20, 2021 Share Posted May 20, 2021 Frogs lay eggs in clumps. Toads lay eggs in a string? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Rookiescot Posted May 20, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted May 20, 2021 "Nuke it from orbit. Its the only way to be sure". 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
worgeordie Posted May 20, 2021 Share Posted May 20, 2021 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simon43 Posted May 20, 2021 Author Share Posted May 20, 2021 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post worgeordie Posted May 20, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted May 20, 2021 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 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Denim Posted May 20, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted May 20, 2021 I'll stab a guess at some species of smurf. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post tifino Posted May 20, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted May 20, 2021 "Gather around my little children" 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
northsouthdevide Posted May 20, 2021 Share Posted May 20, 2021 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. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Gandtee Posted May 21, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted May 21, 2021 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.???? 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobMuir Posted May 21, 2021 Share Posted May 21, 2021 Sperm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreasyFingers Posted May 21, 2021 Share Posted May 21, 2021 Around this household tadpoles are called food. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rickudon Posted May 21, 2021 Share Posted May 21, 2021 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n8sail Posted May 21, 2021 Share Posted May 21, 2021 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: 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chilly07 Posted May 21, 2021 Share Posted May 21, 2021 We keep fish purely to eat mosquito larvae! (And to grow pretty pond flowers of course) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gandtee Posted May 21, 2021 Share Posted May 21, 2021 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!" 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DefaultName Posted May 21, 2021 Share Posted May 21, 2021 Mosquito fish fry? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
owl sees all Posted May 21, 2021 Share Posted May 21, 2021 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? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phetpeter Posted May 21, 2021 Share Posted May 21, 2021 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burma Bill Posted May 21, 2021 Share Posted May 21, 2021 On 5/20/2021 at 1:14 PM, simon43 said: Any ideas? Salamanders?? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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