Life Cycle of a Frog

Picture showing Life cycle of the bull frog

Many young animals look much like their parents. Others do not. In each stage of growth they become more like their parents. Look at the pictures and notice how the frog changes in each stage of growth.

Frogs lay thousands of jelly-covered eggs that do not have shells. This jelly protects the eggs from being eaten by creatures in the water. Frogs lay their eggs in water or wet places so that the eggs don't dry up or die. The floating clump of eggs is called a frog spawn.

The embryos develop in the eggs and grow until they look like small tadpoles, or frog babies. The tadpoles grow until they are big enough to break free. This can take from three days to three weeks. Tadpoles have a head, tail and body. They breathe by getting air from the water through their gills. They eat algae as they swim. As tadpoles grow, their gills shrink and a flap of skin grows over them. They also develop tiny teeth and a jaw.

After the tadpoles are one month old, a bulge appears at the base of their tail. This is where their hind legs are going to grow. They also grow lungs for breathing.

After the tadpoles are three months old, they have front legs and their tails are almost gone. They have shed their tadpole skin and lips and have mouths like frogs.

Picture showing Various stages of frog developments from the egg

The tadpoles are now small frogs. They can climb out of the water and eat insects and worms.

It can no longer breathe in water. It must breathe in the air. The frog is then an adult. The adult female can lay eggs and the life cycle continues.