Tad Files

So the Tads are now swimming head down.  According to the literature that means they're happy and adjusted!  They are growing and getting easier to find!

Funny M pointed out that when Tad arrived - he already had arm buds and was quite large judging by these little guys!

Tad Files

So in May of 2008, we got a tadpole - from the Grow-a-Frog company! - whom we named Tad - not knowing if it was a boy or a girl! Tad has remained Tad and he is in fact a boy African Clawed Frog.  A short period later, I ordered a habitat for him not knowing that it came with a live froglet.  We named the froglet - Lily, also not knowing if she was a boy or a girl!  Well low and behold she was a girl!

Fastforward 3.5 yrs, Tad and Lily have mated a couple times, but did not produce offspring.  This past week however was another story.  2 tadpoles survived.  Here is one of them!
(the little line, slightly off center - a 3 hour old tadpole)

They are now 2 days old, and not much bigger, but thriving.

Tadpoles, Frogs and Smelly Tanks

What? I can't believe I didn't post our Tadpole adventures here.

On May 21st our little Grow-A-Frog Tadpole arrived in the mailbox. I was totally unprepared. I thought it would take a little longer than a week to get here but low and behold Little "Tad" arrived. I just assumed she'd be a boy! But here SHE is at 7 days. Just 2 days after she sprouted her front legs. I have learned that a tadpole's gender can't be identified until they are grow into frogs. From the research I have done... this tad has the nub of a tail (for laying eggs) and she is spotted with no dark patches - though that doesn't mean she won't grow some later. I'll have to watch and hopefully prevent spawning - I don't think I could handle another frog for the next 17-25yrs!

If I'm not mistaken she will grow into an African Claw Frog /Toad. Not the prettiest of frogs in my opinion but I guess it serves me right for not doing enough research. Beggars can't be choosers. Given a choice, I think I'd opt for a red-eyed tree frog, a bull frog or maybe even a Fire Bellied Toad. Oh well! Life goes on! Maybe some day we'll go there but for now we'll stick with this frog!

A few days after Tad grew her front legs, I requested the Stage 2 Habitat from Three Rivers (the Grow-a-Frog) Company and OOPS if it didn't arrive with another Froglet. *sigh* Froglet has now been called "Lily."

So now we are a 2 frog family!

Over the last couple days I've noticed the water is horribly cloudy with stringing things growing in the stinky water despite the fact that I've been following the instructions to a T. So today I sought a new temporary container so that I could clean out the nutri-sand from Tad's tad pool and Lily's pond. I've decided not to put the nutri-sand back just because its a pain to keep clean and I'm a total novice .... all the gunge hides down there and when the water is all gone, you still can't get the sand clean! :( So BYE BYE SAND. My reading suggests that it was for our benefit anyway, and didn't really offer much to the pools.

The adventure today has both Tad and Lily in the same pool now, so less maintenance - I just hope neither is too aggressive to the other. I suspect Lily would be the aggressor if it came down to anything so we'll keep our fingers crossed. I think I'm going to abandon our Three Rivers Habitats in favor of a bigger temporary home for the little ones. What I picked up was a Mini Critter Tote but I think I'll go for a bigger one and put the two Three River things away - just in case we decide to get a different tad in the future.