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Two mature eggs attached to a small branch which was found
submerged in shallow water. |
Hatchling tadpole |
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Hatchling tadpole |
Tadpole several days after hatching. |
Older tadpole |
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Mature tadpole with back legs developing |
Mature tadpole
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Mature tadpole |
Mature tadpole with developed back legs |
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Transforming tadpole with tail decreasing in length and front legs developed (and visible) but not yet emerged.
The front legs emerged one day later and the spadefoot moved to land (first picture of the following series).
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After Leaving the Water to Live on Land |
The following series of pictures show a recently-metamorphosed spadefoot (one of the tadpoles shown above)
as it absorbs its tail over a period of 7 consecutive days, beginning with the first day it began living on land.
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Metamorph, Day 1 |
Metamorph, Day 2 |
Metamorph, Day 3 |
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Metamorph, Day 4 |
Metamorph, Day 5 |
Metamorph, Day 6 |
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Metamorph, Day 7 |
Fully-metamorphosed juvenile, Day
15
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Recently-transformed juvenile |
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The spade on the hind foot is present when the tadpole leaves the water but gradually gets larger and darker. |
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Metamorph, Day 4 |
Metamorph, Day 5 |
Adult |
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