# Crooked tails in tadpoles & things that make me wonder.



## Guest (Sep 21, 2004)

I had a heater problem in the aquarium that I was floating the cups with my tadpoles in. It didn't go above 83 degrees but it got there.  I noticed that a few of the tadpoles developed "crooked" tails where they didn't have one before. Is this related to the heat? I fixed it by the way and it's back down to about 74-76 degrees. They are still growing and all getting fat but the tail has me wondered if they will be deformed.

Also, this is weird but I have better luck with my eggs hatching and tadpoles being more active if I wait till the embryos drop their gills and put the egg in the cup of 1/2" of aquarium water and let it hatch IN water vs. letting it hatch on the dish (when they hatch on the dish they seem REALLY slow to start and even had a few that didn't make it). I have never lost one that was an egg put into water and allowed to hatch that way. Has anyone else tried this? I leave them on the dish with the rest of the clutch until about 14 + days and they've dropped their gills and I know they are going to hatch soon and then put them in the small cups with 1/2" of aged aquarium water (with blackwater extract) and then boom, about 24-48 hours later I have a active swimming tadpole that's hatched and feeding well. 

Any thoughts on why they aren't doing as good hatching in the dish? I've tried changing the water with the anti fungal stuff in the dish at 2 weeks and replacing it with the aged water so they hatch into that and the same thing happens too, they are really slow and take several days to come around. What's up with that :?:


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## Guest (Sep 23, 2004)

I guess I'm the only one who's had a tadpole develop a crooked tail...strange :wink:


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## snmreptiles (Feb 26, 2004)

I was actually very curious to see what everyone had to say about this also. I have one leuc tad that all of a sudden has a really wavy looking tail. Is this the same as your crooked tail? I haven't had any dramatic changes in temp though like you suggested. Maybe it just seems to happen from time to time. I wonder if it means that it will have other problems as it's growth continues, ie spindley leg or something. Who knows. :? 

-Shelley


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## Guest (Sep 23, 2004)

Well I only have two (I could swear I saw more at one point) that have a crook in the tail. You say yours is wavy, was it hatched like that or did it develop suddenly?


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## Guest (Sep 23, 2004)

I definitely have many vent tads with curvy tails. Some have it really bad, others are just a little wavy. It doesn't seem to effect their development, since I have had a bunch morph out just fine. Beetle made a quote to me the other day that my vents breed for quantity, not quality  So, this may be the reason behind my funky tads.


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## snmreptiles (Feb 26, 2004)

CFeeney said:


> Well I only have two (I could swear I saw more at one point) that have a crook in the tail. You say yours is wavy, was it hatched like that or did it develop suddenly?


My tad just developed it not too long ago. None of them had it at first and this one is the only one of the clutch that had this happen.

-Shelley


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## Guest (Sep 24, 2004)

Like you, none of mine were born with this but developed it. I have had one die on me but I don't think it was result of the tail so much as a new batch of rubbermaid snack cups and he got stuck in one that didn't get washed out before it was used (my mistake and he paid for it, lesson learned  ) The other two developed after the "heating" incident and are still growing strong eating great. In fact I'm now down to only ONE that has the crooked tail now because it worked itself out in the other one! :shock: I don't know HOW, or WHY but I change about 25% of their water every night and check on them all so I tend to notice things like this. I've kind of developed my own recipe for their water and food and it seems to be working good, they are growing fast and seem to be really active. After the first crash and losing two in the heating I've not lost anymore. I've got 14 in the water and 11 more eggs and my frogs keep breeding :shock: What am I going to do with all these frogs?!? :lol: 

Stupid question time, do tadpoles breath air or do they get oxygen from the water :?:


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## Guest (Oct 1, 2004)

Well all my crooked tails have disappeared. No clue why or how, but they did. Now they are growing like weeds and look like back legs should pop out any day now.

Do you still have the luec tad with the wavy tail Shelley?


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## KeroKero (Jun 13, 2004)

*Other Tads*

Well in raising up other amphibians (native species like American/Fowlers/Woodhouse toads, Grey TFs, Leopard Frogs, and a couple types of Salamander) I too came across kinked tails. I was told at the time this was a nutrient thing, that the tads were getting the incorrect diet (many were collected like this). A change of diet (or in the case of the sals, letting them eat siblings or other tads, lol) usually fixed this problem really quick. It also could have been temp/water conditions change as these critters were usually collected eggs (didn't usually develop this condition) or tads (seemed to get this more often with older collected tads). Amphibs who had kinked tails usually morphed fine.

Reading this post the temp change (if it killed some I'd think its safe to say its highly stressful) could probibly also cause a stress reaction like this? Good food and consistant conditions seemed to help at least one work the kink out.


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## LilyDiane (Apr 19, 2021)

Guest said:


> I guess I'm the only one who's had a tadpole develop a crooked tail...strange 😉


I know this post is old but I'm hoping you will reply. I have an African clawed that developed a very wonky tail as a tadpole. It is now over 6 months old and I believe its growth is slightly stunted. It has a crooked back, but swims and eats just fine. I'm interested to know if you ever discovered why this happened. I cannot fine any information on whether or not he has "beaten the odds" so to say, because I cannot find one case where the crooked tadpole lived or developed.


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## Kmc (Jul 26, 2019)

There is alot of data on how high temperatures can affect body plan and development in poikilothermic chordates. 

Much of these are embryonic studies but I suspect a similar dynamic influencing metamorphs.


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## LilyDiane (Apr 19, 2021)

Kmc said:


> There is alot of data on how high temperatures can affect body plan and development in poikilothermic chordates.
> 
> Much of these are embryonic studies but I suspect a similar dynamic influencing metamorphs.


That's interesting. I did not have a heater in the tank at that point in time (I did not know better and have since learned) so the water was fairly cold I would imagine. Perhaps the same is true for lower than ideal temperatures as well.


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