How to Tell the Difference Between Frog Tadpoles and Salamanders

Added: 2026-05-18

[00:00:00]As we were setting up the irrigation system for the potatoes, we found some salamander eggs in the pond. Raising and releasing frog eggs has been a staple in my life since I was like five, so I figured this time around we'd document the process. Early on in their egg phase, it can be really hard to differentiate between frogs and salamanders, but as they get older, it gets easier to tell the difference. To put it simply, frog tadpoles develop like hamburgers and salamanders develop like hot dogs. As I was collecting water for the tank, I accidentally caught a couple frog tadpoles, too, so we'll be able to see them develop side by side.

[00:00:30]way to take care of these tadpoles is to only collect them once they're almost in the hatching phase of the egg, and then release them a day or two after they hatch. This way you don't have to worry too much about food, oxygen levels, or temperature of the water. You can just put them in a vase, give them some shade, and watch them grow. I plan to release most of these guys as soon as they hatch, but I do have a large aquarium tank, so I'm going to hold on to a couple of them so that we can see how they grow.