Spotted marsh frog tadpole
Most tadpole species need a very clean environment. They eat plants and have rows of rasping teeth to grind away plant surfaces.
Though good swimmers, tadpoles need to remain hidden from the many birds and freshwater turtles that eat them.
Tadpoles are identified using several features, such as: shape and size of body and tail, shape and type of mouth, space between nostrils, eyes and vent tube, and colour patterns.
Acknowledgements
Image reproduced courtesy of Bob Winters.