None of the explanations above fit our scenario so I'll post in case someone else has a clue.
We had over three hundred tadpoles in our pond. One tench a few newts, some dragonflies and water boatmen, but they didn't seem to bother the tadpoles. The tadpoles were always very easy to locate and we'd see them every day. They were just developing little legs, still had big tales and then three days ago they all disappeared, all at once, no sign of them whatsoever, not one, not even a dead one.
We are completely flummoxed. Nothing could have eaten over three hundred tadpoles all at once. Any suggestions, however mad, very appreciated.
Newts will certainly eat frog spawn ( presumably toad spawn too ? ) but how big a Tad of either has to be before too big for a Newt to tackle I have no idea. As GD says dragon fly larvae are also voracious predators. Unless you have definite evidence of a mass die off ( i.e. dead tads floating about with no sign of predation ), I would think they have simply gone about their normal business and gone deeper into your pond. If you do have lots of dead tads, contact your local Wildlife Society as they can often confirm disease or otherwise.
Newts will eat frog spawn and the tadpoles right up to when they become froglets. I observed a male smooth newt with a froglet leg hanging out of its mouth a couple of years ago for the first time. Never seen a newt or fish take a toad tadpole, but dragon fly and great diving beetle larvae certainly take them from observation.
It's a harsh world being a frog tadpole. The bigger ones apparently excrete a bacteria that slows the growth of the smaller ones. The big ones then turn carnivorous and their smaller brothers and sisters become tasty meals.
I have had a pond for over 15 years and it has been thriving; frogs and tadpoles every year. However, for the last 2 years I have had the same problem with disappearing tadpoles. Hundreds and hundreds of tadpoles disappeared over night. I have always had newts and they have never affected the tadpoles in the past so I don’t believe they are responsible. Therefore when I saw a beautiful little animal, which I think was a weasel about 9 inches long, come out from under my shed I can only think that this is now my number one suspect to eat my tadpoles. However, I have only read that weasels eat mice, frogs, rats, etc., so could they have eaten the tadpoles too? I realise herons might, but I haven’t seen any. You’d expect to see at least a few tadpoles still alive whatever creature is responsible. I have new spawn now this spring so I’ll be watching closely.
I think people underestimate how easily birds and other wildlife eat tadpoles
I don't think weasels eat them @nixonlea0RbwirF5 , although if they're right at the edges [in the warmer, shallow water ] it's possible. I never saw them eat any at our last house, and we had loads of frogs & toads and therefore loads of tads. There was plenty of shallow water where the tads spent time, as I described earlier, but I never saw the weasels down there hanging around.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Thanks for your thoughts. It’s very weird why this has started happening. And also that there’s not one left alive!!! It’s quite a deep pond, perhaps there’s a weird monster down there!😀
Ours was large, and about four feet deep in the middle. It also had those ugly koi things in it, as well as some very large goldfish and a trout at one point. None of those seemed to eat the tads though, from what I could see, although I expect they must have had some now and again. They become prey for birds very easily though. Even in a small pond, with no fish -or weasels [ ] they can disappear overnight. It's the reason for so much spawn - very little makes it to froglet stage let alone adulthood
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Same thing happened to my tadpoles except they were in a mini kiddie pool. They've been there for weeks, and a couple days ago they all disappeared but two. I had about 75 of them. I do have chickens but I've never seen them dipping in there except to get a drink of water. And this was overnight. The chickens only come up near the house for a couple hours in the evening. I would think it would not be easy for any bird to do that as the tadpoles can just swim away. I now wonder as I type if a cat could do that? But read this: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/diving-beetles-dramatically-take-down-tadpoles/ Also : Giant water bugs prey on a surprising variety of aquatic life, including tadpoles, small fishes, insects, and other arthropods. Some are known to kill prey many times their own size. I have a lot of water bugs...ewwww when I open the door at night time...I'm so sad my tadpoles are gone...now I will be killing the bugs...I'm mad.
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We had over three hundred tadpoles in our pond. One tench a few newts, some dragonflies and water boatmen, but they didn't seem to bother the tadpoles. The tadpoles were always very easy to locate and we'd see them every day. They were just developing little legs, still had big tales and then three days ago they all disappeared, all at once, no sign of them whatsoever, not one, not even a dead one.
We are completely flummoxed. Nothing could have eaten over three hundred tadpoles all at once. Any suggestions, however mad, very appreciated.
Thanks.
It's a harsh world being a frog tadpole. The bigger ones apparently excrete a bacteria that slows the growth of the smaller ones. The big ones then turn carnivorous and their smaller brothers and sisters become tasty meals.
I have had a pond for over 15 years and it has been thriving; frogs and tadpoles every year. However, for the last 2 years I have had the same problem with disappearing tadpoles. Hundreds and hundreds of tadpoles disappeared over night. I have always had newts and they have never affected the tadpoles in the past so I don’t believe they are responsible. Therefore when I saw a beautiful little animal, which I think was a weasel about 9 inches long, come out from under my shed I can only think that this is now my number one suspect to eat my tadpoles. However, I have only read that weasels eat mice, frogs, rats, etc., so could they have eaten the tadpoles too? I realise herons might, but I haven’t seen any. You’d expect to see at least a few tadpoles still alive whatever creature is responsible. I have new spawn now this spring so I’ll be watching closely.
I don't think weasels eat them @nixonlea0RbwirF5 , although if they're right at the edges [in the warmer, shallow water ] it's possible. I never saw them eat any at our last house, and we had loads of frogs & toads and therefore loads of tads. There was plenty of shallow water where the tads spent time, as I described earlier, but I never saw the weasels down there hanging around.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
They become prey for birds very easily though. Even in a small pond, with no fish -or weasels [
It's the reason for so much spawn - very little makes it to froglet stage let alone adulthood
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Also : Giant water bugs prey on a surprising variety of aquatic life, including tadpoles, small fishes, insects, and other arthropods. Some are known to kill prey many times their own size.
I have a lot of water bugs...ewwww when I open the door at night time...I'm so sad my tadpoles are gone...now I will be killing the bugs...I'm mad.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.