Tadpoles update

[louiselux]

The pond is now basically owned by the tadpoles, although there were two emperor dragonfly larvae skins floating on the pond yesterday evening, meaning they'd hatched, dried out and flown away while we were at work.





See the mighty tadpoles! The tadpoles surprised me by being speckled with little sparkly gold flecks, which must be their proto-frog markings.The speckles on the water are particles of feather dust from when the pigeons had their bath. Still no legs. There are a group of them at the bottom of the photo, being social and eating algae off the pond lining together, and a passing snail.



A side view, showing off the speckles better. You can see the stripes on the snail's shell where it has been stripped of yummy algae.

They must be about five weeks old by now, so they should be sprouting legs and arms soon, and I think you can see the bulges on their bodies where they're going to pop out. Which is sort of disturbing.

Comments

[karose.livejournal.com]

Every time you update with these I get the greatest wave of sugary GLEE running through me. Truly, nothing is as cute as a tadpole.

[louiselux.livejournal.com]

It's true - and if you put your fingers in the water, they nibble it with tiny rasping teeth!

[karose.livejournal.com]

Eeeeee--!

(the squee of a kid who hasn't had a pet in many many years and clearly needs one)