Answer to the Mystery Photo from last time: The photo was of a Mayfly nymph. It breathes through a forest of feathery gills:
The beautiful Mayfly that emerges looks like this:
Back to the tadpole. They are getting really big now. But this morning I was puzzled. In amongst all the big guys was one teensy one. I took a picture of it next to one of the giants:
What has happened? Did this one just hatch very late? Maybe, but I have a different theory.
A week ago, the wood frogs stopped making their quacking sounds, and returned to the woods. Instead, the spring peepers began. Here is what they sound like:
Spring peepers are even smaller than wood frogs. Here is a picture of a full-grown one one on the edge of a hydrangea leaf:
So I think the tiny tadpole is a spring peeper tadpole that was swimming around in my pond, and when I put in fresh water yesterday I scooped it up by mistake and now it’s in my aquarium. Anyway, I’ll keep watching him (or her) and keep you posted.
Eyes on the Wild 
Thank you Moira, I keep sending these to my young friend for her edification.
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I wonder if the little one is too big for the bigger one to eat? Spring Peepers are cute, with the ‘X’ on their back. They are great jumpers. We often have them here, resting on a Hibiscus leaf or in w/ the Pansies, on the moist soil.
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Good question. Tadpoles eat algae when tiny, and then plants, and occasionally small insects. they only seem to eat other tadpoles in extremis. Read this: https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn25387-zoologger-cannibal-tadpoles-eat-the-competition/
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Thank you, Moira! That’s an extremely interesting article, ‘in extremis’ times. Which made another thought pop into my head…with the food supply being compromised & the hunger that millions are & will experience…….I will leave that sentence unfinished 😢
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