I got my Peterson's field guide just for this situation and wouldn't you know it, there isn't much info on the tadpoles. A computer search turned up the same way so I can't fault Peterson. After I got hung up in the subject I must have spent more than 2 hours reading about frogs and the closest I could come is the Green Frog which can be green or bronze or yellow or even blue. While the mating season is March through April, some tadpoles overwinter so that would be why you would see them now. This tadpole meets your measurement of 3 inches and can be even larger. That's a big tadpole for a medium sized frog. The only negative would be that they don't seem to live much beyond the very northern part of Florida. Wait! That's it. Florida. I bet the U of Florida has info on this. Their Co-operative Extension Service does a great job on Horticulture and related subjects including mammals and amphibians. I'll leave that search to you. Sandy

FYI IF you live West of the Rocky Mountains many frogs and even turtles are endangered in part because non native bullfrogs are eating them.

Sean and Beenz Thanks for the replies. I am glad the fish will have a treat. I don't want to feed to fish until the temp gets to a constant 12-15 a least, so if they are hungry there will be food for them. My pond has very unstable temp as it is v.shallow and small, and being up quite high in the north downs the nights are colder than average. Over the last 7 days the day temp has been 12 down to 5! I'll crush the sticks in future when the temp is right. Sean did you see the fish actually eat the tadpoles? I would love to see that. Marky

I have noticed big variation in sizes of my frog tadpoles, of the same age. I presume this is partially due to feeding, but probably individual differences between their genetic loading from the parents. Toad tadpoles are black, and not the brindled colour that frog tadpoles are once they are a bit more rounded. Depending upon temprature, frog tadpoles will continue to stay tadpoles for longer and become bigger as well. Even to the point of not metaphorphising until the following year! I guess they have a set temprature point when it is safe to develop out of the water, so they stay in until the environment is right. There was a frog at the zoo (some exotic variety) called the 'paradoxical frog'. Loved the name--but it wasn't called that because of a contrary nature, it was due to the fact that it's tadpole state is much bigger than it's frog state. Whopping big tadpoles, yet the frogs were half it's size!