# Albino Tadpole?



## leodeal384 (Dec 30, 2005)

Well, I live in Seminole, Florida....It's near Tampa for those who don't know....and my brother just came back from a ditch near my house with a bucket full of various tadpoles. We have had a lot of rain lately and he figured it would dry up too soon for them to morph. I dumped all of them in a little baby pool I have outside that I keep filtered and keep some plants in...I couldn't afford a pond so I have this! Anyways, I noticed that one of the tadpoles looked a little funny. It is white and has pink near its legs and pink eyes. I know this means albinism, but I have never seen any tadpole like this before. It is flat and thick, like a clawed frog tadpole or something. I was hoping someone could help me identify it. I really want to keep this alive and I isolated it in a exo terra that has the bottom full of water. If you want pictures of that, I can post some too. Also, and special care that is required I would love to hear it. I have raised many bullfrog, leopard and tree frog tadpoles before, but never anything like this. 

Here are the best pictures I could get of the little guy:
















Also, that gravel is very tiny gravel. He is only about 3/4" long including the tail, and about 5/16" wide.
Any information would be appreciated!

Merged - rozdaboff


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## leodeal384 (Dec 30, 2005)

Too late...it died last night not long after I took the pictures.


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## SusannahJoy (Jul 3, 2006)

aw, that's too bad!  it would've been much easier to identify after it morhped. so sad!


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## leodeal384 (Dec 30, 2005)

I spoke too soon!!! Today when I redid the tank that I had the tadpole in, I saw a little pink frog hopping around!!! I have no clue what the pink blob that was covered in mold was...? I was sure that it was the tadpole, but I guess not! Here is a picture of him now, hopefully someone knows? He definately isn't a clawed frog, because he stays on land. I also took him out and put him in a small critter keeper.

















Any opinions as to what I should feed this thing? He is about the size of three fruit flies! I do have some little tiny springtail looking bugs in a millipede tank that I am going to throw in...but that's it...


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## xfrogx (Jul 5, 2006)

Thats pretty cool, Im glad it came through, It looks like some kind of tree frog (Pretty obvious I guess). hope it does well


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## elmoisfive (Dec 31, 2004)

Death by morphing! The tadpole 'dies' so that the frog might live....not exactly the catepillar-cocoon-butterfly progression but interesting nevertheless.

Cool finding and thanks for sharing with us.

Bill


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## c'est ma (Sep 11, 2004)

How exciting! Do update this from time to time...

BTW, if you get it to grow, these sites might be of some help:

Frogs & toads of FL:

http://www.wec.ufl.edu/extension/frogs_ ... fault.htm#

Frogs & toads of GA:

http://wwknapp.home.mindspring.com/GAFrog.Toad.html


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## cubby23 (Jun 12, 2006)

Any update on the froggy?


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## leodeal384 (Dec 30, 2005)

*The Albino Lives!*

Well, whatever it is. I'm sure it is an albino, but no clue what kind of frog, because I have nothing to base it on. I found it in a ditch in Central Florida, as a tadpole...I raised it from a small tadpole to the size it is now, eating fruit flies. I am thinking it might be an eastern narrowmouth frog, but I have no clue. The body shape is just like one, and I don't know anything else that has a sharp pointy face. Anyways, here are two pictures of him next to a quarter for reference...if anyone knows anything it would be greatly appreciated.


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## leodeal384 (Dec 30, 2005)

Now I am almost positive it is an eastern narrowmouth toad, because I found a picture of a tadpole of one, and mine looked the same, but pink. Also, his body is the same shape and has the same pattern on his back. Anyone ever heard of one?


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## c'est ma (Sep 11, 2004)

No, but this is a cool story. I hope you'll start a thread in Other Amphibians or somewhere and keep us updated.

You did post shots of the tad, didn't you? Or was that someone else?...


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## Josh_Leisenring (Jun 19, 2005)

Yup, definitely looks like an Eastern Narrowmouth Toad. This summer I was working for the MD DNR on a survey of these guys in southern Maryland, as they're a state endangered species up here. We only found one lonely male all summer, but that's pretty much what he looked like, 'cept brown. They have a very distinct looking tadpole, though (KerKero and I had morphed out a small clutch last summer), and if you have any pics of it as a tad, I could prolly tell you for sure. Since there aren't any other Gastrophryne in Florida, as far as I'm aware, and nothing else looks quite like 'em, I'm pretty confident that's what you've got there. Awesome find!  Are you planning on keeping the little guy, or releasing him?

- Josh


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## leodeal384 (Dec 30, 2005)

Well I am definately keeping him...and if anything I will sell him to a more responsible person who would use him for a project or something. I still don't fully trust myself to raise a frog from tad to adult, but he seems plump and healthy, no skinny arms or anything. I read that they don't always eat well, but since I have raised this one on fruit flies, I don't think there will be a problem. 
Here are some pictures of him as a tad:
















Here are some more pictures:


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## KeroKero (Jun 13, 2004)

Yeah, comparing to pics I took of the tads for the DNR native species handbook (which I don't have on this comp, erk, I'll post pics later tonight or tomorrow), thats a gastro tad/froglet. If he's taking FFs, you should be fine. The juvies I had took melanogaster and springies just fine until they were a couple weeks old, when they were released. I saw the original pics as tads, but wasn't looking very close... since they were head on they don't show the truely odd profile those tads have. I imagine WCs have some feeding issues due to the change in foods, but being captive raised will probibly mean this guy will be a good eater.


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## cubby23 (Jun 12, 2006)

AWESOME. I remember the old post when you just found him. That is so cool that that tadpole was successfully raised, and albino to boot. Gratz


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## Guest (Nov 6, 2006)

*I'm new here but like your pic!*

What has happened to the frog? Have you found out what kind it is yet?



leodeal384 said:


> I spoke too soon!!! Today when I redid the tank that I had the tadpole in, I saw a little pink frog hopping around!!! I have no clue what the pink blob that was covered in mold was...? I was sure that it was the tadpole, but I guess not! Here is a picture of him now, hopefully someone knows? He definately isn't a clawed frog, because he stays on land. I also took him out and put him in a small critter keeper.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## KeroKero (Jun 13, 2004)

Check out the thread "The Albino Lives!", same author, also in this forum, updating the life of this critter in the "frog" stage.

The mystery albino is a Narrow Mouth Toad.


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## Guest (Nov 6, 2006)

*Albino Lives!*

Thanks for the quick reply leodeal384! The pics are so cool. Def keep us up to date. 

 Ruthie


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## leodeal384 (Dec 30, 2005)

Thanks for joining the threads!


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## leodeal384 (Dec 30, 2005)

Well I think it is time for an update. The toad is doing great, and I moved him out of the critter keeper. I set up a jar terrarium type thing, because I had a large jar that I didn't know what to do with. It is the perfect size for him now. I know all the plants will outgrow it soon, but I don't have any small ones for it. I got some new pictures, because he has grown a bit, and is now about 5/8". Still eating fruit flies good!

























It is hard to not get distorted pictures through curved glass, but I did the best I could.


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## c'est ma (Sep 11, 2004)

Sweet! Congratulations on your success so far! Glad to get updates.


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## Guest (Nov 27, 2006)

*Jar tank*

A jar tank! What a cool idea. It looks fantastic! I know the little froggie will love his new home!


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## joeyo90 (Nov 5, 2006)

that is actually a cool idea with the jar how do you keep it from rolling tho


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## leodeal384 (Dec 30, 2005)

Well, the jar doesn't roll because most of the weight is on the bottom half. The gravel that I used as drainage weighs it down. I do have a stopper in the back, just one of those big pink erasers though. I didn't know that the jar concept was new? I don't remember where I saw it, but I figured it was just a cheap alternative to a mini tank...Thanks for the comments!


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## KeroKero (Jun 13, 2004)

Ah well, I guess if you don't have big glass jars laying around? They can be a pain in the butt to get animals out of, but I've still got stuff like that laying around. I use them for plants now tho, I use gladware (cheap) and critter keepers (the vast collection I've built over the years) for my frogs.


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