advise me on how to transports tadpoles

lauraww

hi there,i noticed today when i was out walking that at least 700 to a 1000 tadpoles that i have been checking up on for the last month are now all clustered together in a few small pockets of water as the large puddles where the tadpoles have been living are now dried up.
there are so many clustered togther that i could put my hand in and scoop them out.
some of them have legs at this stage but are still too young i think to leave the water

can someone please tell me what would be the best way to move these tadpoles?

i will easily find another area for them to live in

kildare.17hmr

A big bucket with a lid like a bucket of cattle feed or the likes

vicwatson

Nice thoughts in fairness, but just remember these are protected species under the Wildlife act of 1976.

Might be worth contacting your local wildlife officer in your local county council to seek their advice.

Best of luck.

Traonach

Make sure the water you are transporting them in is roughly the same temperature as the puddles they are presently in. If not they could go into shock because of the temperature difference. If they are in danger of dying don't be wasting time ringing the NPWS/County Council just get them to a safe pond (not a stream).

magicbastarder

vicwatson wrote: »

Nice thoughts in fairness, but just remember these are protected species under the Wildlife act of 1976.

seems that the OP's primary concern is to protect them; i don't think the NPWS would be unduly concerned with the scenario above.

i doubt the OP would be charged with tadpole endangerment as a result.

Alun

magicbastarder wrote: »

seems that the OP's primary concern is to protect them; i don't think the NPWS would be unduly concerned with the scenario above.

i doubt the OP would be charged with tadpole endangerment as a result.

I agree, we get this stuff on here every time someone suggests even moving one tadpole, and it's all a bit ridiculous if you ask me. If they're in a puddle that's drying out in the sun, and there's a more suitable water source nearby, then just move them, I say.

Mothman

Alun wrote: »

I agree, we get this stuff on here every time someone suggests even moving one tadpole, and it's all a bit ridiculous if you ask me. If they're in a puddle that's drying out in the sun, and there's a more suitable water source nearby, then just move them, I say.

Indeed, I agree 100% with sentiments of thread, but the wildlife act etc still needs to be said, not for the Ops benefit but for all the other readers, so that they are fully informed.

Type Tadpoles in google
this thread is listed 5th in pages from Ireland. Shows the exposure that Boards has...

doctor evil

I don't think I agree with moving tadpoles, (illegal to do so!)

People forget that the vast majority never survive as they most likely become food for something else.

If you want to help look at improving habitats for amphibians.

FanadMan

doctor evil wrote: »

I don't think I agree with moving tadpoles, (illegal to do so!)

People forget that the vast majority never survive as they most likely become food for something else.

If you want to help look at improving habitats for amphibians.

And leaving them in the dried up puddles that the OP was talking about is going to protect them? At least the OP had enough concern about them.

You said that the vast majority never survive so maybe moving them out of a drying up puddle will mean that a few will survive.

OP - if they survive, post a few pics

Mothman

doctor evil wrote: »

I don't think I agree with moving tadpoles, (illegal to do so!)

People forget that the vast majority never survive as they most likely become food for something else.

If you want to help look at improving habitats for amphibians.

This is a very valid viewpoint.

Puddles drying up is nothing new and tadpoles dying as a result is nothing new. Its part of natural selection. They'll still be food for some thing else and perhaps the young of something else will survive as a result.
Humans moving them is relatively very new, but so is plenty of other human influences such as habitat destruction...and puddle creation. While the law is black and white, for me nothing else is.
I have chosen to move spawn/tadpoles from tractor made puddles which are of quite a temporary nature, and while I've already said that I agree with sentiments of thread, I usually choose to leave tadpoles found in such a predicament as described in OP.

One further note, and this can apply is so many instances of where humans meddle is that by introducing a load of tadpoles elsewhere could upset the balance there. Puddles are usually warm and tadpoles develop much more quickly than in a larger body of water which is usually colder. Introducing larger tadpoles could leave no food for the "native" less advanced tadpoles, or even eat them! (I say this without any knowledge of what the OP plans on doing with them.)
Did I say it wasn't black or white

St. Leibowitz

Maybe replenish the water in the site where they are at the moment ?? If it's small, a bucket of water every day might be enough ??

Half-cocked

I believe the Wildlife Act does allow for the removal of tadpoles and other species in immediate danger from habitat loss (in this case drying up) but as Mothman points out, you might be upsetting the balance of things by releasing them somewhere else. Can they be released anywhere nearby rather than in a completely new area?