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Page 17

Stage number three is when the gills disappear some weeks later and the tadpoles breath with their lungs. Then their back legs begin to grow. Stage number four is when the tadpoles front legs push out from behind their head. Stage number five is when their tails gradually get smaller and smaller until the little frogs are ready to hop away onto dry land. After the tadpole becomes an adult frog, it may take a few months or years before it is mature enough to start breeding. A full grown frog is amphibious. That means that it can live on both land and water. Most frogs need to life near water to keep their skin moist.