The Life Cycle of a Frog — Passage and Quiz

Frogs have an amazing life cycle that takes them from water to land. It all starts when a female frog lays her eggs in water. These eggs are tiny and covered in a jelly-like substance that protects them. After about a week, the eggs hatch into tadpoles. Tadpoles look very different from adult frogs. They have long tails to help them swim and breathe through gills like fish.

As tadpoles grow, they start to change. First, they develop back legs, then front legs. Their tails get shorter, and they begin to grow lungs. This process is called metamorphosis. It's a big word that means changing from one form to another. During this time, tadpoles start coming to the surface of the water to breathe air.

After about 12 weeks, the tadpole has fully changed into a young frog. It now has four legs, no tail, and breathes air through lungs. This young frog, called a froglet, leaves the water and moves onto land. It will continue to grow until it becomes an adult frog.

Adult frogs can live both in water and on land. They have long, strong back legs that help them jump and swim. Frogs eat insects and other small animals. When it's time to have babies, adult frogs return to the water to lay eggs, and the cycle begins again.

The frog's life cycle is a great example of how animals can change as they grow. It shows us that nature has many ways of helping animals survive in different environments.