different coloured tadpoles?

[spiderpig]

whilst checking out the pond today,I noticed that there were scores of tadpoles nestling around the top of the frogspawn.On closer inspection,I noticed I had two very different colours present.One type was dark grey/black and looked very much like the tadpoles i had last year.The others were a dark brown colour.
Does the tadpole start out this colour and then go darker as it develops or have i got two different species in the pond?there were two distinct sets of frogspawn. any froggy experts out there?

[ClayGarden]

are the brown ones toadspawn?

[spiderpig]

i really don't know,i only had tadpoles for first time last year,so haven't got much to go by.if it is toad,can they co-exist happily?

[digitalamchi]

dear spiderpig

my intuition tells me that what you have is a combo of both frogs and toad poles, the smaller dark/black tads being frogs, with the paler being toads - though to be truthful i have only noticed the paler colour on the tadpoles when they are fully in their last stage of development before their legs push out.

Do you see any spawn anywhere else in the pond - toads lay their spawn in strings usually around submerged vegitation - wheras frogs lay a mass od spawn in one area.

hope this helps

[spiderpig]

thanks digi,there was two big blobs of spawn,but both in a big clump,rather than the string effect you describe.I don't think that the difference in colour is related to drastically different stages in development.They are all very young and have only just noticeable as being tadpoles.
I suppose I will just have to wait and see how they develop.
cheers

[Waffler]

I have both toadspawn and frogspawn in my pond every year. I've found the toadspawn tends to come a little later, and so I currently have masses of froggie tadpoles (getten eaten by the menace that is 'Jaws' the trout!) and developing strings of toadspawn, wrapped around pond plants.
If you do have both in your pond they do co-exist very happily (pictures having parties and taking a casserole round to neighbours) together. the fact is that once they turn they probably seek out their own environments anyway.

[Headfry]

My tadpoles (frogs) start of very dark/black and turn more brown as they mature!