METAMORPHOSIS:  The Lifecycle of a Frog

Metamorphosis is the change of shape during an animal’s life.  During metamorphosis the tadpole will develop back legs first, then front legs.  Around 6 weeks of life the mouth starts to widen.  Sometime around 10 weeks the froglet’s, as it is now called, eyes start to bulge out and the tail begins to shrink and eventually disappear.  When the lungs finish developing the froglet makes it’s way onto the land and, Ta-da! It’s a frog!

	Frog eggs floating in a pond:  these clusters of floating eggs are called "egg masses".   Frogs lay up to 4,000 eggs at one time!
	Tadpoles hatch from the eggs and live in the pond.
	The tadpoles turn into Froglets.  The body shrinks and legs form.
	The Froglet's tail shrinks, the lungs develop and the back legs grow and then we have a Frog. Amphibians must shed their skin as they grow. Usually the shed skin is eaten.  Yum!

Common Toad Tadpoles
source:  wikicommons
photographer:  Christian Fischer
 

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