Frogs are cold-blooded animals that can survive on land and in water. The life cycle of a frog is very interesting because like butterflies, frogs go through a process called metamorphosis, where their bodies change from birth till the time they reach adulthood.
A frog can lay many eggs at a time, but the survival of the eggs depends on many circumstances. Frogs lay their eggs in stable water, and unlike other eggs which have a hard surface, a frog’s egg is soft and gel-like. The egg appears like a little bubble and has a black dot at the center, which later develops into a tadpole. These eggs float together in a cluster on water.
Gradually, the embryo1 inside the egg takes the shape of a long body with a round head. It grows organs called gills for breathing underwater on either side of their body. It also grows a small tail which helps it swim. Tadpoles emerge from their eggs about ten days after the eggs are laid. These tadpoles feed on weeds and other small plants. After a couple of weeks, tadpoles begin to lose their tail and start growing front and hind legs. Changes also take place inside their body as lungs begin to form and the digestive system becomes more complicated in structure. Jaws begin to develop, and the tadpoles start feeding on small insects. When the lungs fully develop, the tadpoles transform into young frogs, which are now fully capable of living on land.
