l^k 



NUTRITION AND GROWTH OF LARVAE 



DIET 



INITIAL 

 SIZE 



Species :_ 



1 2 



BODY LENGTH - MM . (Snout to end of tail) 

 WEEKLY MEASUREMENTS (AVEEAGE OF 5 SPECIMENS) 



5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 li+ 15 l6 



1. 

 2. 

 3. 



DISCUSSION: 



Feeding of anphlbian larvae is not necessary for several days after the mouth opens 

 as there is at that time still some reserve yolk which can be utilized. For the Anura 

 feeding may begin at stage #95 and for the Urodela at stage #'+0. A varied diet is gener- 

 ally considered the best, and the Anura are thought of as herbivores and the Urodelee as 

 carnivores, although they may both be omnivores. Certainly the frog tadpoles, when they 

 are short on rations, will eat dead tadpoles, worms, and other organisms. In fact, there 

 is some evidence of cannibalism among the frog tadpoles. The elongated intestine of the 

 Anuran tadpole is associated with Its vegetarian diet and those forms raised entirely on 

 a protein or non- vegetarian diet tend to have shorter intestines. 



The Anura do better on food with a green color while the Urodela do better on living, 

 moving food such as Daphnla, worms, and small tadpoles. When crowded and underfed, the 

 Urodela will snip off each others tails, and growing appendages. 



TABLE I 



Incidence of kidney stone in tadpoles reared on spinach and non-spinach 

 diets. See +ext for more detailed explanation. 



From Briggs & Davidson, 191*2: Jour. Exp. Zool. 90:Uoi 



