Tadpole

:For other uses, see Tadpole (disambiguation)

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A tadpole (also known as a pollywog) is a larval frog, toad, salamander, or newt. In this stage it breathes by means of external or internal gills, is at first lacking legs, and has a finlike tail. As a tadpole matures, it metamorphoses by gradually growing limbs and then (in the case of frogs and toads) absorbing its tail. Most tadpoles are herbivorous, subsisting on algae. In a few species, some tadpoles turn cannibalistic under harsh conditions and feed on other tadpoles living in the pond.

Related Topics:
Frog - Toad - Salamander - Newt - Gill - Leg - Tail - Metamorphoses - Herbivorous - Alga - Cannibal

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;See also

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• 1953 in Timeline_of_underwater_technology.