Cebi Asks: When Will My Legs Grow?

Hi, it’s Cebi! Every morning I check my reflection in the water, just in case my legs have grown. Not yet. But I already know the order, and I want to show off to you. 🐸

A tadpole’s journey, step by step

Eggs. Frogs lay eggs in water, wrapped in clear jelly. Hundreds or even thousands at once!
Tadpole. I hatch with a tail for swimming and gills for breathing underwater. I mostly eat algae and pond scum.
Back legs come first. The front legs follow later.
The tail shrinks. It doesn’t fall off, it gets absorbed by the body little by little and used as an energy reserve.
Gills turn into lungs. My mouth gets wider, my gut gets shorter, and my diet switches from plants to insects.
A tiny frog! Ready to hop onto land. 🌿

This big change is called metamorphosis, and it’s triggered by thyroid hormone. How long it takes varies: some species need just a few weeks, others take years.

Wait, why doesn’t Pumi change?

Axolotls are amphibians too, but they stay in their “baby” form for life: they keep their gills and live in water forever. That’s because their metamorphosis hormone signal doesn’t work the way it does in most amphibians. Read more in Axolotls Stay “Forever Young”.

So one day I’ll become a frog, and Pumi will still be Pumi. We’ll stay friends, though! 💚

Slow is okay. Even legs grow one at a time.