How long do tadpoles take to turn into frogs?
That depends on the species, the amount of food available and of course water temperature. Since tadpoles are ectotherms, their body temperature is quite similar to the water they are in. Cool temperatures can prolong the tadpole stage. Bullfrogs usually metamorphose into froglets the next summer, spending a year as tadpoles. However, those bullfrogs that live in Canada may take 3-4 years to change into frogs, because of the short growing season and the cool water temperatures even when air temperatures are high. At the other extreme are the spadefoot toads, which may take only a few weeks to turn from egg to froglets. Spadefoots breed in temperary ponds, which often dry up in a few short weeks or even sooner. The amount of food available is also very important because tadpoles need to grow to a certain size before metamorphosing. Even when conditions are ideal, there are occasional genetic mutations that render an individual tadpole unable to transform. There is no known case of a tad
