Jump to content

What are they???


Guillaumy
 Share

Recommended Posts

Hi,

I don’t know if this is the right place to post this but here goes.

We spent a week in our house near Bergerac the last week in Septemeber (3 weeks ago).

We have a well in the garden that is about 4’ x 5’ that was overgrown, but has now been cleared. I noticed this trip, what looked like some sort of fish coming up to the surface, either eating something off the surface or coming up for air.

I made a rough sort of fishing net and caught one of the small ones. (see photo)

It looks like a tadpole!! There were lots in the well and I saw some that must have been 3” to 4” long. What are they??

Thanks

Robert

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We have a sump next to the house for collecting rainwater and there is a fish in there. I am not certain, but I think it is a rudd and put in there to keep the mozzies out. It has been in there for at least 3 years that I know of!

His name is Ahab.

Mark61120
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sorry, I can't seem to alter the photograph to any other format. I can see the photo when I log onto the forum.

Can I send a picture to anyone via email?

No, it isn't a newt Millymollymandy.

The larger ones, although I only saw them for a few seconds as they came to the surface, might have had appendages (ie legs or fins) but this small one has nothing.

It looks exactly like a Tadpole but could not have been because of the time of year.

 

Thanks for you interest. I'll keep trying with the photo.

Robert

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have just had a quick look on various websites via google and have found mention that the tadpoles of some species of frogs may be present every month of the year.  Could this answer your question?

The other thing I was wondering was whether they might be salamander "tadpoles" - i.e. if they look a bit different from the normal frog tadpoles.  Newts, salamanders, frogs and toads all need to breed in water.

I can't see your picture either!

Valerie

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi,

Thanks for your input.

Valerie - I would have thought that had it been a hatching of toad spawn, they would have all been about the same size. Salamander tadoples? It could be, I have no idea. Have never seen any and couldn't find any on the web.

Pixetoadstool - The picture was a JPEG and I added it through the "insert picture" button on the task bar.

I will have to wait until we go back to France and see if I can net a bigger one and either take a better photo or/and ask a neighbour (which would have been the most sensible thing to have done).

Mark - Interested about the fish in the "sump" to keep the mozzies at bay. This seems like a good idea. Our neighbour has a v. large trough and a cattle watering pond, FULL of goldfish/carp. Perhaps that's what they are there for.

We had (apart from the tadpoly things) little clouds of white specks wriggling just under the surface. Hope they weren't mozzie lava because the tadpoles didn't touch them.

Thanks again

Robert

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dear Guillaumy,

I have just done a quick Google and came up with this website for identifying tadpoles - you go through a series of steps and it tells you what it is likely to be and one of these is a fire salamander which are certainly present in France.  It seems the main differentiators are that salamander tadpoles are large and have gills whereas the frog/toad ones don't have gills and tend to be smaller.

Do have a look because it includes pictures too!

http://www.whose-tadpole.net/key-to-tadpoles/tadpole01.htm

Let me know if it helps?

Valerie

 

P.S. I have just been back to the site and notice that live larvae are born up to as late as July and so they still could be developing in your well even now!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Valerie,

Thanks for the fabulous web site. Have been through it and there are some that it could be, but not sure. The little tinker that I caught was about 3cm long which rules out quite a few of those on the site. The one that is closest is the Common Spadefoot Toad.

The thing that intrigues me is that it seemed as though they were coming to the surface to breath. Tadpoles don't do that do they? I watched them for ages, saw them rising to the surface and looked very hard to see if there was anything there that they were feeding on.... but nothing.

Anyway, thanks again and I will post again if I find the answer.

Robert

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Robert,

Unfortunately, the white camma shaped thingies are mozzie larva (or midges). It possibly could then rule out then that the larger wildlife are some form of fish, because they would have tended to eat the larvae. Also, they must be some sort of amphibian because they are coming up for air (assuming that the water isn't polluted and lacking oxygen).

The suspense is killing me (or is it the suspenders?)

Mark61120
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Mark,

Will have to try and sort the white b*****s out when we go again. Hoped they weren't mozzies but wondered if they might be. We were all bitten last visit. I should have used the mozzie net we bought with us for the proper purpose instead of cutting it up to make a fishing net!!

As far as the water purity is concerned, I was going to get it tested.

Sorry about the suspense, by the way. Hope they're not too tight.

Robert

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...